I am having a wonderful time with a group of ladies visiting Adelaide from Fregon (see previous post)

Today I learnt a little about their traditional basket making. I’ve started a rafia basket which I hope to finish at home. I’ve done a little bit of basketry before but this is a whole new technique, it’s quite simple but I’m sure takes ages to really master. Theresa is a wonderful teacher and loved talking all about the baskets and what they’re used for. Spinifex is the traditional grass used but rafia has become more popular and she loves to use some coloured rafia, emu feathers and beads for decoration.

We’ve shared a lot of singing, I’ve also had opportunities to play my flute for the ladies too but the highlight for me was today when they sang a song in Pitjantjatjara (that I knew) and I was able to sing along in English. It brought tears to my eyes then and does again now as I’m typing this. It was beautiful! There was no language barrier, we could all join together.

She didn’t want to lift her head in this photo.

But when I asked her she did for this one with her granddaughter Gail.

Theresa and I talked about our families, walking back to the Teen Challenge centre after lunch, this is what I call a privilege – for such a sweet, gentle, shy woman to trust me enough to talk to me.