Huge Thank-you.

 

Elderberries

It's been several weeks since my last post, and I wanted to say a huge thank-you, for all the wonderful replies. They were incredibly supportive and kind, which meant the world to me. When you feel like a deer, staring into headlights, it was nice to hear voices calling somewhere safe. Which is how I felt. Safe in your wonderful thoughts. So thank you, each and every one. Now to fill you in with the rest.

A big chapter closes

The day begins

Well hello again. I sat down to a lovely salad and coffee, for breakfast this morning. I've been wanting to sit down and write this post for about a month now. I guess the words don't come easy, for one of the hardest things I've ever had to share. I'll do my best though.

It's over

 

The party, that is. Our daughter's 18th!! It has been keeping me away from my blog, since the beginning of the year. Well, one of the things. As we had to fix the narrow back landing, behind the house, to make it safe for partying teenagers. Seven in total, and they were mostly well behaved. I say mostly, because I'm sure the neighbours heard. But it's the first loud party we've had, since moving here in 2007. I'm glad to say it's over though...

The potter planner

Making words with lego

Hello again, friends. Where have I been for the past two months? Like most parents during lock-down, our kids started learning from home with study packs. Getting creative with lego and playdough, made it a little more interesting - but all things come to an end. They returned to school, a few weeks ago. I'd like to say, that's when I caught-up with my property projects. They've been heckling from the sidelines, to come finish them. But I needed some unstructured time to myself, first.

Boxhead buddies

Living inside the square

There's a lot more property posts, to catch-up on. But for now I've been indisposed, making costumes again. Only this time, it was for the Halloween themed party, at the Toowoomba City Library (last Saturday). Peter wore his old "Creeper" costume, I made for book week, so it was great to get further use out of it. When at the library, we came across another character from the Minecraft gaming universe. The Enderman!

Aussie Battlers

Facing West-South-West - the current wind direction

I don't know if you can see it, but there's a smoke haze, on the horizon. My thoughts are with those in Stanthorpe (Granite Belt) and surrounding areas. After facing their local water supply, drying up recently, they are now being hammered by bushfires. I spent my last few years of High School, in Stanthorpe. My mother also grew up in the area.

Before we were...

I have promised a Passionfruit-slice recipe, which was meant to be the very next post. However, I couldn't let Mother's day pass, without a tribute, first. This special day is a happy time for some, and a sad one, for others. Mothers who have passed away, and some who struggle, to live up to the title - well, life is not always fair like that. Yet we hold "mother" as the gracious role it was meant to be.

My mum & I, on my wedding day ~ 2013

6 months pregnant with my first child

Like all mums (myself included) we are not perfect. Yet they endeavour to be there, for all the important things. Like being ready with a band-aid, when kids fall from their bikes. A hug when they feel uncertain. Home-made meals, only mum can make. They teach us it's okay to fail, and more importantly, how to get back up again. Basically, they try to be there, to help shape us into decent human-beings.

My mum is getting older. I am getting older too. So are my kids. It's all happening the way it should. Yet, how easy is it, to get caught in the busyness of life, and forget how important the ones who went before us, really are? Does it matter what we're doing, if we forget them? For me at least, life starts to lose more of it's meaning, when glossing over the ones who came before us. I know all too well, life can be stressful and take my eyes away. And the needs of my own kids, don't take care of themselves either.

So how do you balance it all together?

My youngest, makes a heart ~ he will turn six, soon

As my mother taught me - each day is a brand new one, and (if you're lucky) you get to start all over again. So start each day, like it's a new opportunity to do better. Hindsight only comes, if we give ourselves the benefit of patience, grace and humility, to change. This applies, whether we are mothers or not. I wasn't a mother, when she taught me this. But oh, how I've needed that wisdom, when I threaten to come undone as one. Or maybe, even just as a human being.

Patience, grace and humility have more value, than any kind of busyness which can occupy us. Because it purchases the coveted ticket, of gaining wisdom. Something, I might add, I'm still attempting to do! Because life (at this point in time) is extremely busy. But I'm fortunate to have my family, still with me. To remind me, what it's all for.

At some point, the baton will pass to my own children. And I hope through all their busyness (that comes with life) they will see the seed of wisdom, my own mother planted in me. So they too, may blossom with this understanding. For it's an imperfect world, we live - and each day, is a brand new one.

Play time

School is out for another semester, so now is the time to activate imaginations, and enjoy two weeks of holiday. Surprisingly, when the kids were packed off to school for the last day, today, I found myself a tad obsessed.

When I say "obsessed", I mean I was engaged for HOURS - making preparations for the holiday. What was so enticing, it would take-up most of my day?

LEGO!

The Mario Brothers

It was all Mario's fault (in red) because Peter almost finished making him, before I had to pack him off to school. I thought I'd surprise Peter, by putting him together. Of course, I couldn't stop at Mario, could I? I had to build his brother Luigi (in green) next.

For those who aren't familiar with these two, they're a popular gaming franchise of Nintendo. Peter doesn't have much merchandise from the Mario Brothers, so we make our own. In this case, with Lego...

Help me, Mario!

Most of the Lego collection, was formerly his sisters. Which is why I was able to find a smidgen of pink, to make Princess Peach. Where would Mario be, without his Princess?

Of course, you know wherever Princess Peach is...Bowser is never far behind.

Hah-ha-ha-ha-HAHHH!

Mario doesn't stand a chance, Princess

This giant dinosaur, and arch nemesis of Mario, is always capturing Princess Peach - trying to force her to marry him. Only because he wants to take control of the mushroom kingdom!

My Lego version of Bowser, looks more like a Koopa Troopa. Doesn't matter when Peter is convinced it's Bowser though! That's what a good imagination is for.

Do not enter...

There's a Lego Mummy, guarding the entrance to Bowser's castle, so Mario and Luigi, won't have an easy time, getting through.

Defend the castle!

There's also a former Lego Knight, manning the giant crossbow again. It's been years since he's seen some action (tucked away in the Lego box) so he was keen to defend the castle once again - even if it was for a giant dinosaur.

Then there are bad guys, who aren't quite sure if they're bad guys or not...

...banana?

Poor Bob the minion, was just looking for some bananas to eat. Bowser promised him plenty of bananas, if he guarded the tower door, from two pesky plumbers!

Enter at own risk ~

especially if you're a banana

This tower came together, thanks to his sister's former lego collection, and Peter's new. I love mashing them together, to make new structures. Talk about getting value for money. His sister's collection must be at least 8 years old now, and still as sturdy as the day it came home.

So many interesting shapes, to put together. Whole new worlds to create! You can see why I became a tad obsessed...

Play time

So this made-up world, created with toys we already had, awaited Peter when he came home. He played - the bad guys lost (of course) then he went outside, to draw on his chalk board. In the time it's taken to write this post, he's come back inside, and playing with his Lego again.

I have a few other activities up my sleeve to pass the two weeks away. Things to be creative with. Things to do with our hands. I think I've been looking forward to these school holidays, just as much as the kids. Because I like being creative in the home, and not having to race-off in the mornings. At least for two weeks.

Have you been doing anything creative in the home, lately?

Footloose

My husband got on stage as Logan/Wolverine, as part of an impromptu dance troop, for Toocon, yesterday. A friend, caught some footage of it, and it was quite the hoot!

If the link works, you'll also see one of the professional Cosplayers, dressed up as Thor, in the background. To the left of David, is a Black Panther, Cosplayer too. Although you only see him for a few seconds.

 I managed to load the photo to my blog, of Logan (aka: David) & Thor,

up on stage together

It was uploaded to Facebook, which is why I don't know if others can view the video footage. Let me know if it works for you, or not?

PS: I changed the link, so I hope it works for you this time, Nanna Chel. Let me know.

Old is new again

I had another wood-working project in the pipeline, but it's more a restoration project, than one, built from scratch. It's a piece of furniture, which has become a family heirloom. First purchased for my sister and I to share - when she moved out, it temporarily became mine. That is, until my younger brother was born. And so it has been juggled around the siblings, to cater for the different clothes, we constantly grew out of.

My mother kept it, after all her kids moved out. Generously, it came into my possession again, when our daughter was born. You can do that with old furniture though. It takes a lot of beating! Nevertheless, my cabinet was destined to meet it's match, with a pair of cockatiel parrots. Their cage took up residence, on top of the cabinet, because it still resided in my daughter's room.

I swear...I didn't do it

Being the generous owner she is, they were allowed outside their cage, after school. Parrot beaks are designed to gnaw on wood and seeds with hard shells. Given the cage took up all the space on the cabinet, we figured they wouldn't be able to get at it. Not so! Clever, nimble, birds, found a way.

Not entirely me

They also managed to peel off a chink of wood, caused from normal, wear and tear. Not satisfied, they proceeded to enlarge it! On many an afternoon stroll, on the carpet, they gradually chipped away at the wooden scar. Of course, I was oblivious - I'm sure my daughter had an idea though *wink*.

Definitely NOT me!

Then there were...the droppings! When let out, the birds would perch on top of their cage. Naturally, the cabinet caught the brunt of it. Enough was enough. Time to rescue our family heirloom. So we organised an early birthday present for our daughter, and purchased a large cage on wheels. We moved the cabinet of drawers, out, and the birdcage, could take it's place in her room.

Okay...that was me

Our poor, abused, family heirloom, had no permanent home. So it resided in the middle of a small hallway, between some bedrooms, and a bathroom. Thankfully, I had a plan though! It's prospects would turn around, soon.

Guilty too

See all this stuff, hidden behind the cabinet? They were leftovers, from another house re-shuffle. My fabric stash for sewing, and some of my husband's hat collection, were evicted from various places, because I needed the furniture for other tasks. You know how it goes!

So the fabric stash was destined to love the new cabinet, and the new cabinet was destined for that naked wall. It just needed a bit of fixing, is all.

Undecided

I'm sure this is jut normal wear and tear, but it's possible the cockatiels helped it along. If I was going to repaint the cabinet, I would have to patch-up, a lot of holes.

Who's responsible?

Oh, this was definitely us kids!! Someone threw a hissy-fit. I can't remember who it was, or what it was over - but the poor cabinet wore the brunt of it. The sides were made of ply, (or thin, silky oak, my mum believes) which gave way. All these years (at least 15, it's been in my possession) I've been meaning to fix it.

So eventually, the day came, I would...

Done

Wood filler. Fantastic stuff! Cheap (in the powdered form) and great at hiding a multiple sins. You'd never know by the outside of the cabinet, what took place. The inside, however, kept the truth immortalised...

The wolverine was here

It never did affect the drawers opening and closing, so there it can stay. I like a bit of history, in wooden furniture. There were many things I chose to keep, simply because I didn't want a new piece of furniture. I wanted the story to be immortalised, forever.

On the other hand, there were just some things, which had to go!

A relief to remove

Green florals from the 80's, I don't mind. It's the fact it was contact, and would catch dust in the corners, it didn't quite reach. I wanted a less permanent option. Something I could remove for cleaning, and allow the wood to breath.

 Keeping the green theme

Unfortunately, I couldn't find paper drawer liners - my first option. I did come across some tablecloth vinyl instead. Removable and wipeable. I quite liked the pattern, too. It would suit the final finish, I was hoping to achieve.

Almost naked, drawers

The main body of the cabinet would be painted, because it needed a lot of wood filler. But the drawers, would be roughly stripped, and not painted. Since my mum told me the drawers were made of silky-oak, many years ago, I've always wondered what silky-oak, looked like.

Well, now I have revealed the wonderful wood, and even kept some of the blue paint, and white undercoat too. I couldn't do away with all those memories. Especially since my mum's original paint job, has withstood 3 of her children, 1 grandchild (to date) and 2 parrots!

Looks weird in this position

This is the cabinet, with most of it's blue paint removed. Upside down, too, because it was going to be easier to paint that way. Before I covered it over, I wanted a picture of all that lovely, silky-oak, wood.

Before (matt) and after (shiny)

I am coming to the end of this story soon, but first, the area I was going to leave exposed, included the cabinet top. I could have sanded it smooth, but why? 

At some point I'll get some furniture wax, but chose to treat it with a mixture of ingredients I had at home. Apple cider vinegar, mixed with raw linseed oil, lemon and eucalyptus oil. It smelled divine, and the wood felt so silky to touch, afterwards - even without sanding.

 A sneak-peek

Afterwards, I was reminded of the smell of wooden furniture in my Nan's house. It was like having a felled tree in your home. I never knew what I was smelling, back then. Now I do, because we work with a lot of trees in our backyard. Felled wood is raw, refreshing and I'm surprised after all these years, it still retains some of that original scent of silky-oak.

Loving it's new home

My finished set of drawers are not perfect, but they were never intended to be. I wanted to fix some damage, put hard-wearing paint on the main body, and let a bit of history show through. I even kept the back, original (see pic with junk behind cabinet). No stripping, sanding or painting the entire back section. Just to maintain that original, blue and white prosperity - telling of childrens' clothes, unfortunate hissy-fits and (in the scheme of things) sharing based on need.

A set of blue drawers, gets a new lease on life. But I know...I still haven't found a new home for all those hats! Another time.

Lego play

It's nearly the end of Easter holidays, but there's still time for some last minute, imaginative play. Peter loves lego, and received several play-sets from relatives, last Christmas. The plain, 600 piece, block-set has been the one he plays with the most. Because he can make all sorts of things out of them!

Right now he's going through a gaming phase....

Pac-man hunts down ~

3 ghosts, a strawberry and 2 cherries

He doesn't really play games on a console, but he loves to watch them on Youtube. First, it was Mario. Now, Pac-Man. He tried to recreate them with his lego blocks, recently. Proving to be rather challenging, he decided to ask for help. So a collaboration was formed, between him and his two folks.

Because Pac-Man was our introduction to console games. Arcade games were the only option our generation had, back then. Heck, the personal computer wasn't even rolled out, until we were in high school!

Enough nostalgia though. Except maybe for Lego blocks. Fun to play with, but never walk barefoot around them. Or you'll be cursing up a storm! Man, do those things hurt. But kept contained, they're great play on the holidays.  

What the...?

And that was supposed to be the end of it! I was ready to hit "publish", when Peter mumbled something about ghosts, behind me. When I turned around, I saw this imaginative stack. That boy, sure loves his lego!

It's the one plastic toy, I don't mind having in the house. He has a box full of toys, but lego would have to be, what he plays with the most. He still plays with the mega-blocks (larger version of lego) we gave him as a toddler. I wonder what Peter will think of making next?

Is there a favourite toy you enjoyed as a child - or perhaps your children, or grandchildren, love? My favourite imaginative play, as a child, was building cubby houses!

Firsts

It has been a month since my last post, but it was to be expected. As I had immersed myself in a paid, online art course, for a whole month. It finally concluded. Simultaneously however, there was another big change we had to adjust to, as a family.

A big day for Peter, arrived. Somewhat like...

 His first day, coming home to the bush...

His first day, as a super hero...

To finally, his first day of school!

Yes, he started school this year! Oh my. Big changes. I wasn't going to embarrass him today though (or his big sister) by dragging out the camera, to immortalise his first day on the school bus. I'm a little nervous for him, because the bus and getting to school, is a huge responsibility. It's no small feat.

Living where we do in the bush, the bus has to come early. Everyone out the door, by 7am! His bus arrives at school, an hour and a half, before school starts. There's a time, they must sit in a supervised area, and a time they go and play. 

I'm a little nervous, because he has to remember to put his bag, outside his classroom, before he goes and plays. The rest of his day - from getting his lunch to finding his library bag to return his book, hinges on him putting it in the right place. I've been showing him for the past month where it is, and he still gets a little confused. Today, is the deep end of the pool though.

Yikes, it's hard, letting these little ones, go. Growing up is automatic! Ensuring they can find their way, is what pulls at the heartstrings. I look forward to hearing about his day, when dad brings him home, this afternoon!

In the meantime, there's plenty to keep me busy - outside and inside. I look forward to blogging a little more regularly, again.

Marvel at GOMA

Yesterday, our family trekked all the way to Brisbane, to visit GOMA - or the Gallery of Modern Art. They were holding an exclusive display, of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It was a last minute decision, as the event was due to wrap up, after 4 months in Brisbane.

The event, "Marvel: Creating the Cinematic Universe", will close after this weekend. Personally, I wasn't thrilled to travel all the way to Brisbane, to contend with crowds and noise - while there was certainly that, it was also a display I'm glad to have experienced. Because it wasn't what it first appeared to be.

Click to enlarge

Our experience with Marvel - whether it be through reading the graphic novels, watching the movies or the various television series, is somewhat of a passive interaction. Your imagination comes along for the ride, but the material you're observing, is doing all the work.

What you're greeted with, upon entering the exhibition however, is a giant illustration of Spiderman. It completely dwarfed Peter, and he loved it. We pretended to throw webs through our wrists, just like Spiderman does. Which is a far more interactive experience, because you're not just looking at an image. You're experiencing it, in the larger than life scale, our imaginations work with.

Captain America

The adjoining room, behind the Spiderman wall, was the Avengers room. Where we got to see the costumes used in filming the various movies. It was an impressive display, and I couldn't help but admire the creativity that went into designing each costume.

Scarlet Witch, Ironman, Thor and Vision

Not only was the craftsmanship, exquisite - details, designed not to show details, but the creativity it took, to subdue the costumes, was phenomenal. The vivid colours, that worked in 2D comics, wasn't an appropriate treatment for movie reel. It had to be believable, like it could fit in our own universe. 

Black Widow, Ironman & Thor

Different mediums in the Marvel universe, obviously required different treatments. But behind each treatment, was a creative individual. And behind those individuals, was a creative team.

I have to admit though, it was hard not to just view them as manikins, wearing costumes. The actors, needed to add the third dimension, to bring them to life. But this wasn't about the cinematic universe, as the passive viewer of a screen. It was about appreciating each individual piece, and the time and effort it took, into making them appear believable.

Hawkeye

 Thor

 Vision

The viewers, in this case, had to add the third dimension, to the lifeless manikins. We got to appreciate, they were more than an end product, hanging on them. Because there was creativity, imagination, determination and effort, behind each cut, stitch and mould.

Of course, there were two members of the Avengers team, who were comprised mostly by CGI (Computer Generated Imagery) but the exhibition, still managed to include them, in the line up.

Hulk

The green Hulk, was quite large and intimidating - caught in his classic pose. You need to see his size, in comparison to the manikins however, to fully appreciate his presence.

Captain America, Scarlet Witch & The Hulk

Hulk was perched up higher than anyone else, and for small kids, that was probably a good call. Not only might his expression, terrify small children, up close, but as far as my four-year old was concerned, he would probably attempt to climb it!

I was impressed, the displays were open view. No fences, no glass boxes. It made the characters, and the creativity behind them, more accessible to the audience.

Iron Man

The powerful zoom on my camera, was able to capture the other CGI character, up close, in the Avengers room - which was Iron man. I loved the lighting, in the chest piece, and the eyes. I couldn't help but notice all these details, while the characters were frozen in their poses.

It's not something you can observe in such detail, while the movie is playing. Behind the plastic moulding though, is a set of electronics, and someone painstakingly, designed them from scratch.

 The Winter Soldier (aka: Bucky) & Loki

The villains, got their own showcase as well. Again, I loved the effort that went into these costumes, to look like they could fit in a modern location. Incredibly unassuming, when you consider what modern soldiers have to wear and carry around.

The cell

They even had on display, the cell Bucky was contained in, to be transformed into the Winter Soldier. Doesn't it look like it could pose as an underwater diving sub, or piece of mining equipment? That's how unassuming the design process had to be.

Crossbones & Loki

Hydra, Flame Throwers

There were so many other villains, I'm not going to name them all. Although I have to say, I was surprised to see the costumes of Nick Fury and Agent Hill (not shown) in the same line up, as the villains above. They were supposed to be the good guys. But, it depended on their agenda, I guess. They could, and did turn on some of the Avengers team. But I wouldn't consider them true villains.

I'm not going to be able to show ALL we saw and took photographs of, but there are a few more highlights, of our experience.

War memorial

This is a display, of a scene, contained in the Winter Soldier, movie. It's the Captain America, memorial, meant to honour the (assumed to be) deceased, Captain America. I found it ironic, because it's an exhibition, within an exhibition!

Close up

It has a postwar, meets steampunk, feel about it. Almost comic like, in it's use of primary colours - in the shield, at least. I like how the manikins had no facial expressions, like a Waldolf doll. Although, I did struggle with the lack of animation in them, at first.

Fleeing the scene

These are the motorcycles used in the various movies. Notable, because Peter got scolded by a security guard, for touching the lower bike. He leaned over the raised podium it was on, and grabbed the bar, near the foot rest. I saw him heading for the bike, and was on my way to intercede. The security guard launched from the corner, and beat me to him, by half a second.

Peter was completely oblivious, but it scared the living daylights out of me. Because I was reaching for his shoulder, just as her hand went to grab his hand off the bike. A misunderstanding, I'm sure. No hard feelings. But it did scare me temporarily.

On with the rest of the exhibition, and some of the additional movies to come out of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

 Doctor Strange: Stephen & The Ancient One

 Ant-man: Scott Lang

 Guardians of the Galaxy: Groot (CGI character)

Guardians of the Galaxy: Gamora & Star Lord

Costumes and props, all help to create a movie, but then the sets are quite impressive too. Like the one of the throne room, of Asgard. The size, scale and detail, makes you feel like, you've just stepped into a God's court. Which of course, is the desired effect.
  

Throne Room of Asgard

I suspect the dimmed lighting, throughout the entire exhibition, helped create more of a presence. Had it been bright lighting, parts of this set would've dominated the scene. Having only the brightest light, cast on the thrown, however, begs to ask the question: who's going to sit on it?  

Brothers: Thor & Loki

One of these two brothers, perhaps? I love the stance of Loki's manikin. A slight tilt towards his brother. Very much in line with the character. He's attempting to be unassuming, while waiting for the right opportunity to stab his brother in the back, and get away with it.

A small detail, in the manikins stance, but stays true to the family politics.

Thor's hammer: MjoInir

Are you still with me? If you're not a Marvel fan, I could be overwhelming you with tedious minutiae. But there is a point to all this. I walked away from the exhibition, with a greater understanding, of the process it takes, to create something. It could be said, the exhibition wasn't about the characters, but the creative processes, behind them.

An evolution, if you will...

 Trio

Somewhat like the Iron Man suit, Tony Stark created. Three different suits, on display, which changed in detail, as the story arc for the character, developed. Which took many years. But all an evolution of the creative process.

 It's in the detail

I loved how the hi-tech, mechanical suit was contrasted by the Japanese screen, behind. All these details, from the production companies, to the manufacturers, and even how GOMA displayed the items at the Museum. All required a creative process, based on individual input. Then all the pieces came together, to tell a combined story. Or in the case of the Marvel Cinematic universe, several stories.

 The mask, minus the occupant

Some people saw it as a photo opportunity. Others, saw it as a day out, viewing. But there really wasn't ONE way to experience the exhibition. Except perhaps to experience the process of creative design. Which was actually my favourite part. I loved it!

There was actually two things I loved most, about this exhibition. First, was the artwork, dotted throughout. From the giant Spiderman illustration, at the beginning, to the various paintings they had on display, which helped turned 2D into 3D movie productions.

 Art

I'm not referring to the classic story boards, all movies start with. They did go into explaining with some high-tech gadgetry, how those classic story boards got turned into movies. But I was more partial to the various artist's rendition of the story, they had displayed throughout the exhibition.

There's some really talented people out there. And I guess that's how I found my tribe at the exhibition. Through the art work. Not comic books, costumes or props - although, I did appreciate the effort that went into them all. But I really loved experiencing how the artist's rendered the story. I got to see their creative muse, in it's rawest form. 

  Peter and David

The second part of the exhibition, I loved, was experiencing it with my family. We traveled in the car together, listening to a Eurovision CD. Peter got to ride on a bus, for the first time - and press the button to make it stop. We ate the food we brought from home, in a little green patch, outside the museum - then grabbed a treat of Gelato, afterwards.

David, Peter and Sarah

Walking to the museum, after we got off, at the wrong bus stop, we saw a beautiful Bougainvillea, climbing a metal sculpture. It seemed to climb all the way to the sky...

Bougainvillea

We even got to experience the tantrums of a four year old, on the way to the museum. Because there were so many things he wanted to touch and experience, but we didn't have time for. Especially when it involved sand and water, with no spare clothes to change into.

Space

In amongst the hustle and bustle, to get to our destination though - there were always a few moments to steal. Like a plant lined walkway, leading to the river view. We were crammed amongst so many pedestrians, but there were unreal moments which pulled us away, too. Thank goodness for those moments, and being able to spend them together.

I can easily be overwhelmed by the full pelt of the city. But my family, and nature, always brings me back. I'm glad I went and experienced something, which isn't exactly my normal surroundings. I got to come home afterwards, and enjoy the things that really mattered about the day.

Creativity, family and evolution. Something to experience, rather than spectate. In all it's many forms.