こんにちは、私たちは家にいる！

Konnichiwa.

Hello. It's cold in Melbourne. I'm huddled in front of the fire wrapped in a mohair blanket, and I'm still cold. Is it really chilly, do you reckon, or am I just tired? Both probably. Dunno.

We arrived home this morning. The others are sleeping. Probably a bad idea sleeping in the middle of the day, but there you are. We don't always make good choices. I'm watching Wife Swap on the telly, for example. I think I'd be better off asleep. Why do these women subject themselves to this kind of total humiliation, do you think? This is totally a bad choice, but I can't be bothered finding the remote. I'm eating toast and Vegemite. And drinking coffee. Actually, I'm sort of overdosing on coffee, and I'm happy about it. Those are good choices.

I've lots of exciting things to tell you about our holiday. It was super great. I missed you all, of course, but only the littlest bit. You always miss people more when you're the ones left at home than when you're the travellers. They're the ones having all the new experiences, and real life seems a very long way away. I did think of you though. We head home to the country tomorrow, and back to reality the day after. Jemimah is so not looking forward to school. We're not looking forward to work either. Oh well.

I am, however, looking forward to Literacy Lava 5. It's published tomorrow. Don't forget to pop on over to The Book Chook blog first thing in the morning, to get your copy. It's good. Earlier editions are still available as well, if you haven't read them all. You should.

Bleh. Who invented red-eye flights anyhow? Bad idea. The movie I watched was good though. It was called A Tale of Ululu's Wonderful Forest ウルルの森の物語. Here's the YouTube clip. It's in Japanese, but if you can get hold of the version with English subtitles - or if you and your family speak Japanese, then I thoroughly recommend this wonderful family movie. You'll get an idea of why I like the film from the clip even if you can't understand it. Let me know if you want me to review it in more detail. The Japanese language website is here.

Well, s'pose I'd better go and awaken the others before it's tonight. They'll be dancing the night away if I don't. I'll talk again soon - just as soon as we download the photos and get the suitcases unpacked. It's been nice talking to you all, friends.

I'll leave you with two funny things from the mouth of Miss Jemimah.

Funny Thing Number One

Last night they were making a last call for a passenger. It went something like this:

PA Announcer - Passenger Shen Lee Wah (or some equally Chinese sounding name), please make your way to Gate Lounge Four immediately.

Miss Jemimah - Oh listen, they're calling for Passenger Alice Wallaby. She must be late for her aeroplane.

Yes, Jemimah, I'm sure that was just the name I heard too...

Funny Thing Number Two

Miss Jemimah - You know, Bhutan and Japan are really quite similar in lots of ways.

Me - Really? I wouldn't have thought so. Give me an example.

Miss Jemimah - Well, Bhutan was very hot (it wasn't actually), and Japan is very cold (ahem, really?). So you see, they're both verys!!!!!!!!!!

Yep right. I knew that.

What a disjointed post. Okay, okay. I'm tired.

Oh, one more thing - we managed to get to 99 followers. Pretty cool, hey? Thank you all. One more, anyone? Going cheap!! HeeHee

バイバイ Bai Bai

Tokyo Highlights

Mum:
Seeing original Utagawa Hiroshige ukiyo-e at Ukiyo-e Ota Memorial Museum of Art in Harajuku;
Eating sushi at Sushi Dai Wa inside the Tsukiji Fish Market at 6 in the morning;
Meeting Sue and her wonderful fam.

Dad:
Shiatsu full body pummelling;
Happening upon the Sanja Matsuri unexpectedly and seeing old Edo come to life;
Eating hibachi grilled food at Ohmatsuya robata-yaki right along side the Sony Building in the upmarket Ginza shopping area.

Jemimah:
Miniature plastic dolls house food from Kiddy Land...actually, all of Kiddy Land was pretty speco;
Playing with the old-fashioned toys at the Shitamachi Museum;
The Flying Fox at the playground in Hibiya Park.

Off to Disneyland tomorrow.

Hooroo.

Hurro!

Image from here

Hurro there! How are you? I'm good. Tired, but good. Happy. Tired, good and happy. With sore feet.

Now, greetings done, I'll get right down to the trip report...if you're interested in what we're doing, of course. If not, then feel free to skip to more important things.

Is there anything more important, I ask you? Really!!

Whatever.

Anyhow, we've experienced this.
We've eaten here.
Weve been here with this wonderful family.
We saw this and ate this.
We did some serious people watching here and especially here.
We pigged out here and here.
We delighted in this.
We loitered here and here and here and somewhere else, but I can't remember its name.

We've done a heap of other stuff too - and eaten at some other places. We're only up to Day Four believe it or not.

And now I'm going to bed. Then it will be Day Five.

Goodnight, sweet ones. Miss you.

いってきます

My dearest, darling honey-bundle blog pals, I'm leavin' on a jet plane tomorrow. I do hope you'll miss me just a little.

While I'm gone these are some things you might want to do:

• Enjoy the glorious autumn view from my bedroom window above. I hate to miss it!
• Visit the Peaceful Community and give me some advice on helping Jemimah to love Scripture memorisation.
• Give me some suggestions for great holiday book reads and tell me what you like to pack yourself.
• Discover how I'm going with my Bible in a Year project and let us know how you're going with your Bible Reading...
• Start a new discussion about something interesting. That would be so cool!
• Follow me on Twitter and keep tabs on what we're doing in Japan. I'll try to check in there!
• Follow me on Google Friends Connect just because it would make me happy. I try to read and comment on all my followers' blogs in return...if you have one that is! Wouldn't it be fun to get to 100 followers by my return from hols? Hurrah, I'd like that! Thank you so very much to the 94 of you who follow me already.
• Read some old posts. There's heaps of good stuff mixed in with the twaddle...
• Visit some of my followers' blogs. They're great!!!! Follow some links and see what you find. Come home to me though, won't you!

Is it wrong to miss you already?

Packing a suitcase

I've always wanted to write this post, because despite the fact that a google of the phrase 'packing a suitcase' elicits a whopping 811, 000 hits, I've never ever met somebody who packs like I do. And believe me I've packed a lot of suitcases.

My method works whether we've been spending a weekend in Melbourne, staying in five star hotels in Europe or doing it rough with a single backpack in Indonesia, and I dare say it is different from what you're used to...

So. Here goes. Deep breath.

Most packing gurus advocate one of three methods for packing your luggage.

In the rolled method, everything is rolled into neat little packages that are then stacked any which way into your bag. I dare say this probably works quite well in a top loading backpack, but everything comes out wrinkled. Really wrinkly - it has to, really, doesn't it?

In the stacking method, everything is neatly folded and then fitted jigsaw style into the suitcase with 'smalls' shoved into the gaps. Light things on bottom, heavier things on top to hold them down. The clothes stay flatter this way, but imagine what happens when you get to your destination and your jarmies are packed in the middle of your suitcase. With this method, it is almost impossible to remove any single item without disturbing everything else at the same time. Grrrr! This method drives me mad!! It is also my husband's method. We use it on the journey home when we need to get as much in as possible and it doesn't much matter what anything looks like the other end.

In the daily method each individual outfit is packed into its own individual plastic bag, and these are packed together in the suitcase. This method works okay for a stay of a few days, but when the journey is longer then it is much better to pack mix-and-match items than individual outfits and then which plastic package to you pack the items in? I can't see this one working for me - I'm not obsessive-compulsive enough.

All of these methods works to get your items from A to B, where the suitcase in unpacked just once on the trip.. What they don't seem to accommodate as well as my method is journeys involving more than one stop, trips with a stay of two or three days in one place and then another short journey to your next destination.

So, on to the Jeanne method.

Firstly, lay out everything you need on a bed or other flat surface. Place any specific outfits together so that you don't forget that all important belt, or hubby's black socks to go with his black suit. Make sure everything you need fits into one smallish suitcase. Yes, even for a three month jaunt around the world. Especially then - imagine what space you'll need for purchases on a trip like that! You do not need to pack your whole wardrobe.

Pack using one base colour. Black is best, but grey, brown or navy will work if you happen to have a wardrobe of navies that all work together. Mostly they don't though. Pack a couple of wow accessories. I've chosen a bright red shawl and a grey and black scarf for this journey. Make sure everything mixes and matches with at least one other thing. Preferably more.

Consider your circumstances. For example:

• On this journey we are visiting only cities. We will not be doing any hiking so we don't need that type of clothing.
• The season is spring so we will need layers of lighter clothing for a variety of weather possibilities rather than just woolens or light tees. Ensure everything mixes and matches.
• It may rain.
• We will need 'posh' clothes to wear to church and to dinner in hotel restaurants. Men wear suits to the church we attend in Japan, and ties in restaurants, so Hubby will need a suit and tie.

Fold everything as neatly as possible. The neater they're folded the less they will crush and the less likely they are to need ironing when you arrive. Fold into small packages but try to minimise the number of folds for the same reason. This may not be the way that you would fold them into your drawers at home. Button every second button.

Next stuff your shoes...or else your shoes will be stuffed. Packing's really hard on shoes. The tighter you can pack you shoes the less likely they are to be damaged by the journey in a squashy suitcase. Use your smalls for this - socks, knickers (or whatever you call them) and hankies. Really shove them in too, not forgetting to fill up to the back of the heels. Pack molded bra cups the same way. Set them aside for later.

Next pack your clothing in two neat piles in the middle of the case. This is the important bit, because it means that whatever you need can be easily accessed at any time in the journey. If worst comes to worst and the item you want is at the bottom of a pile, it is easy to remove a whole stack from the suitcase, assess the item and then return the pile to its home. I've taken photos of our two suitcases packed like this below.

Wrap belts around the outside of the case. A rolled belt takes almost as much room as half a shoe. Don't do it. Similarly, fold ties at the neckline, for the same reason, and pack flat.

Pack neatly folded smalls (yes, really!) around the edges of the piles. Books, essentials like Vegemite, and other flattish things fit too. Fasten any suitcase straps to hold the clothes in place.

Place shoes in the corners of the case as shown, heels into the corners to preserve their shape. Carefully position bras in the same way. Placed like this, the items should survive the journey intact.

Other bulky items fill the centre - toilet bags, bags of electrical adapters, and makeup go here. Make sure you use flat bags for these items. I have an old toilet bag that I use only for travelling.

If your suitcase has an outside pocket then this is the place for wet weather gear. If you pack it then presumably you're likely to need it. otherwise, take a risk and leave it at home. You can always purchase an umbrella at your destination if you're really in trouble.

Finally, that suit jacket. It is impossible to successfully pack a structured suit jacket, no matter what they tell you. If you really need to take a jacket then wear it onto the plane. As soon as you board, hand it to a flight attendant with a nice smile. Nine times out of ten they'll hang it in a wardrobe for you to collect on your arrival. Don't forget to pack a jumper in your in flight luggage to change into though, or you'll freeze.

So that's it - the Jeanne method. The trick is in the piles. Try them. They work in backpack, soft sided duffel bag, suitcase or a basket for weekend with the parents. The principle of the piles is always the same, and it always works.

Try it next time you travel.

Don't forget to let me know if you try it, will you?

When the grass is greener

Image from here

What do you think of me when you read my blog?

What do you imagine me doing/saying/wearing/speaking?

Am I better than you/more smart/more organised/more blessed or luckier, or am I a flibberty gibbbert/unreliable/distracted/insecure/boastful or vain?

Is my daughter happier/prettier/more intelligent/better than your kids or should she be put into school right this instant because clearly we are a bad influence on her and she needs more discipline and control?

Is my house bigger/my daughter sweeter/my family happier than yours? Do we have better holidays?

What do think about when you read my blog?

I think I do an okay job homeschooling Jemimah. She is doing pretty well in the important subjects - reading, mathematics, Bible, and has a growing interest in art, music and nature. She is widely read and even more widely travelled. She speaks passable French and a smattering of Japanese/Bhutanese/Arabic. Her writing is improving.

When I read one of my bloggy friend's posts though I can't help but feel discouraged. Her children do incredible hands-on-projects. They lap-book, they make superb scale models of temples and Great Walls and castles. Their writing is always immaculate. When I read my friend's blog and her catalogue of fabulously varied homeschooling experiences, each seemingly bigger and better than the last, I feel a bit of a failure, to be honest. I just don't measure up to her at all. I get envious.

Another friend writes incredible things about her children's behaviour and her habit-training. As I compare her two beautiful children to my strong-willed impulsive, messy, rude, poorly controlled Jemimah I can't but feel I'm letting her down. Surely she'd be better off in school where she'd at least get regular discipline. I feel discouraged. I feel bad about my parenting skills. I feel jealous of my friend.

Yet another friend has it all together spiritually. He blog is full of wonderfully inspiring pearls of wisdom. She writes from the heart and she always has the right word and the right Scripture verse for the right occasion. She encourages me to walk more closely with the Lord, and yet often I don't comment on her posts because I can't find the right words to express what I want to say as eloquently as she does. I want to be like she is.

One friend is really erudite. I always learn things on her blog. She inspires me, but she also has me in awe. She is so intelligent, and compared to her I feel so stupid. I feel inadequate.

A final friend (and I could do this with most of my regular reads, believe me) has a beautiful blog. Every thing about her life is perfect. She takes great photos of wonderful experiences. Her writing style is clear and concise, but expresses her bright and lively personality. She is incredibly funny. She posts often, but never writes twaddle. She has it all together and her stats reflect her popularity. When I read this blog I feel like throwing in the towel. This woman is in a league so far higher than mine, that it makes me realise just how shoddy my blog is in comparison. Why should people spend their valuable free time reading my blog when they could be reading hers? Let's face it - I'm a second rate failure.

For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

Psalm 139: 13-16

Why is the grass always greener on the opposite side of the fence? Why do I compare myself critically with others? Why do I get green with envy? Why do I covet?

God is saddened when we compete with others. He is grieved when we are unhappy with our lot and ungrateful with the talents he has given us. He does not want us to be discontent with his gifts to us. We are his people, and he knows us. God knows our thoughts, (Psalm 139:2), and the words that are on our tongues (Psalm 139:4) He hears every whispered word, and one day he will shout them aloud from the roof tops (Luke 12:3).

True peace and satisfaction do not come from 'having what she has'. True peace comes from God. When we compare ourselves to others it only brings dissatisfaction and discontent. It doesn't make me happy, and it prevents me from seeing what God has given to me.

And believe me, he wants to give us everything we need.

You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God.

James 4: 2

As the rich young man of Matthew 19 discovered, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. He also discovered that it is a waste of time 'keeping up with the Joneses':

And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.

Matthew 19:29-30

When I start comparing my blog to others, I lose sight of what God has given to me. I lose sight of what's important.

I don't know what's going on behind the façade of my friends' blogs any more than you really knows what goes on behind mine. Who knows what really goes on behind closed doors? I may never live up to the things I admire in my friends, but you know there are probably things about me that they aspire to as well. And that's okay.

We're all different, but we're all fearfully and wonderfully made, and all our days are ordained.

I'm happy to be me - warts and all. I'm happy with my lot. Are you happy with yours?

What do you see when you read my blog?

The things we do...

Am I quite sure I want to do this?

So do you want to see how Jemimah looked in the hanging donut eating competition at our local school fête this afternoon?

She looked pretty funny, actually. Why do we do these things?

Her good friend, the Princess Tee won. That's her in the blue. I can't show you the winner's shot because it shows her face too well and her mum mightn't like that, but she does look very funny...and a littke bit ill as well.

Ah, you've gotta laugh.

A magnifying glass on Japan

The whole tendency of modern Geography, as taught in our schools, is to strip the unfortunate planet which has been assigned to us as our abode and environment of every trace of mystery and beauty. There is no longer anything to admire or to wonder at in this sweet world of ours. We can no longer say with Jasper Petulengro, - "Sun, moon and stars are sweet things, brother; there is likewise the wind on the heath." No, the questions which Geography has to solve henceforth are confined to how and under what conditions is the earth's surface profitable to man and desirable for his habitation. No more may children conceive themselves climbing Mont Blanc or Mount Everest, skating on the Fiords of Norway or swimming in a gondola at Venice. These are not the things that matter, but only how and where and why is money to be made under local conditions on the earth's surface. It is doubtful whether this kind of teaching is even lucrative because the mind works on great ideas, and, upon these, works to great ends. Where science does not teach a child to wonder and admire it has perhaps no educative value.

Perhaps no knowledge is more delightful than such an intimacy with the earth's surface, region by region, as should enable the map of any region to unfold a panorama of delight, disclosing not only mountains, rivers, frontiers, the great features we know as 'Geography,' but associations, occupations, some parts of the past and much of the present, of every part of this beautiful earth.

Charlotte Mason, Towards A Philosophy of Education, p224

I have written before of my daughter's privilege in having an intimate and personal knowledge of many regions of our beautiful earth. She has travelled extensively and often, and her knowledge has broadened in so many areas as a consequence, just as Charlotte Mason says it should.

The freedom of travel that we know now was unheard of amongst the children of Victorian England, and so we find no instructions in Miss Mason's educational tomes on how to prepare our children for travelling; what books to read; and whether it is, in fact appropriate to alter a set curriculum to include an in depth study of the region to be visited, but I feel quite sure that she would find preparation for travel appropriate and indeed desirable.

The panoramic method (of geography) unrolls the landscape of the world, region by region, before the eyes of the scholar with in every region its own conditions of climate, its productions, its people, their industries and their history. This way of teaching the most delightful of all subjects has the effect of giving to a map of a country or region the brilliancy of colour and the wealth of detail which a panorama might afford, together with a sense of proportion and a knowledge of general principles.

Charlotte Mason, Towards A Philosophy of Education, p228

But how? How do we kindle the imagination? What ingredients can we provide to allow the child to create the connection without placing ourselves right in the way of that happening? How can we prevent our study becoming the type of amusing farce of a unit study that Miss Mason describes so amusingly in Towards a Philosophy of Education (p 115)?

The conscientious, ingenious and laborious teachers who produce these 'concentration series' are little aware that each such lesson is an act of lese majesté. The children who are capable of and eager for a wide range of knowledge and literary expression are reduced to inanities; a lifelong ennui is set up; every approach to knowledge suggests avenues for boredom, and the children's minds sicken and perish long before their school-days come to an end.

These are the questions I ponder before each voyage to distant climes. Should I do something different? Should I do nothing at all?

Over the years, over the trips abroad I have tried a number of different methods of introducing a region of the world prior to our departure. Some were more successful than others. None are failures though, because the travel alone with no intervention by me is the best teacher of all. But can I help?

Miss Mason makes much of this idea of a child forming the connections between ideas himself without interference from the teacher. She disliked forced connections very much. She did, however link certain subjects in her schools:

The co-ordination of studies is carefully regulated without any reference to the clash of ideas on the threshold or their combination into apperception masses; but solely with reference to the natural and inevitable co-ordination of certain subjects. Thus, in readings on the period of the Armada, we should not devote the contemporary arithmetic lessons to calculations as to the amount of food necessary to sustain the Spanish fleet, because this is an arbitrary and not an inherent connection; but we should read such history, travels, and literature as would make the Spanish Armada live in the mind.

Our aim in education is to give children vital interests in as many directions as possible - to set their feet in a large room (Psalm 31:8) -because the crying evil of the day is, it seems to me, intellectual inanition.

Charlotte Mason, School Education p231

Okay, to extrapolate then: A study of Japan should involve readings in history, literature, geography and the arts, to enhance the imagination and make Japan live in my daughter's mind, giving her as many directions as possible, but allowing her to create her own connections in her own mind.

So to our plan.

Map Drill

We've focused our map drill around Japan, identifying other Asian countries in the region, the names of seas and islands and major cities. We've discussed a little of the politics and the border disputes with Russia, China, Korea and Taiwan because of their proximity.

We've also mapped the Tōkaidō Highway, important in our art study below.

Art

I discussed our Picture study here. We're looking at the woodcuts of Andō Hiroshige 安藤広重, and hope to see some of his work during our visit. We're locating the various staging posts on our map as well.

Folk Songs

We've learned the lovely Japanese folk song, Toko No Tsuki (but our version is written for kids and is from The Sing! Collectors' Edition 1995-1984.) Have a listen to this version though - it is beautiful.

Literature

Jemimah is reading the terribly sad but enormously thought provoking Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr. As the legend goes in Japan, if you fold one thousand paper cranes, your wish will be granted. It was Sadako's friends who managed to fold the remaining cranes to make up the thousand she needed, but we've been folding them too. Only we don't fold for luck - we fold for peace.

We're also reading The Big Wave and One Bright Day by Pearl S Buck. It was books from this wonderful author that first kindled my own interest in Asia. I'm hoping she might do the same for Jemimah.

One of our family read alouds is The Ink-Keeper's Apprentice by Allen Say, and based on Allen's own boyhood in Japan. Grandfather's Journey is one of our family's favourite picture books, and this novel is proving every bit as good so far. I would own every one of this man's books if I could.

Other things

There's other stuff too. We've used the excellent book Tokyo Friends by Betty Reynolds as a gentle introduction to the language, culture and etiquette of Japan. Studies of this type are much more fun when you're going to be there imminently!!

We've learned the kanji for telling the men's toilet room from the women's. Highly important stuff, this. Critical even.

女男

We've learned life skills, like packing neatly in a suitcase. Colour matching clothes has been an interesting one as well!!

Education is part of life, isn't it? It's hard to say now what else we're learning because we don't think of it as education - it is just part of preparing for our holiday. Our grand and exciting adventure to Japan.

I've done my bit. We've made adequate preparation. The rest now is up to Jemimah. I'm packing our nature notebooks though. Miss Mason tells us that they're excellent travelling companions!

But the peculiar value of geography lies in its fitness to nourish the mind with ideas, and to furnish the imagination with pictures. Herein lies the educational value of geography.

Charlotte Mason Home Education p 272

This and that

...with a little more of that... just so you know what I'm doing with myself while I'm not with you. If you're interested in how I spend my time that is...

Okay.

So I am now the proud and slightly overwhelmed owner of a Kashmir Jamawar woven of pashmina and silk, courtesy of that sublimely wonderful husband of mine. It was sitting, wrapped in gold paper and with a crunchy mauve silk ribbon surrounding it, on the table when we arrived at our restaurant for dinner on Saturday night. It was accompanied by a single long stemmed red rose and a bottle of Moët et Chandon too. He really blows my mind, sometimes, that man...

Anyhow, the shawl. I think it is absolutely magnificent, but when I wore it to church on Sunday my darling sister asked me whether I was wearing a blanket, so I may be wrong.

I finally managed to get to Purl's Palace over the weekend, so I now have the yarn to crochet my granny rug. It is silk and mohair Noro Yarn from Japan, which is a little ironic since I'll be there next week, but I didn't want to have to purchase it there only to have to lug it all home. I am now a woman obsessed...


The only problem with starting a new hobby is the time it takes from the established ones. I'm reading some great books at the moment. My bookclub novel is The Robber Bride by Margaret Attwood, a cleverly written story of adultery, lies, deceit and deception. The themes of power, trust, and friendship, attraction, lust and love are explored in a fascinating way in this book.

Hubby and I are ploughing our way through Anthony Hoekema's The Bible and the Future in our attempt to unravel the mystery of Revelation for our Homegroup Bible Study. Hah, yeah!! This book is an excellent introduction into the four major schools of eschatological thought and the differences between them, and is really written for minds cleverer than mine. However, we forge onward.

Written more on my level is Susan Hunt's Spiritual Mothering - The Titus 2 Model for Women Mentoring Women. This immensely practical book is full of case-studies and sensible advice about applying God's principles to your life. I thoroughly recommend this one to all women - and not only to mothers!!

I'm rereading The Book of Tea by Okakua Kakuzo (and numerous other travel books) in preparation for our upcoming journey to Japan. I always love this book, originally written to be read aloud at Isabella Stewart Gardner's famous Boston salon in 1906. It would be hard to find a better book to explain the Japanese aesthetic and spirit to ignorant gaijin like me. Despite its misleading name, New Zen - the tea-ceremony room in modern japanese architecture is a photographic collection of chashitsu designed by contemporary Japanese architects. I'm browsing my way through this one as well. I'm really enjoying this book, although I must wonder whether they really needed to New Age its title.

Also amongst the printed matter by the bed are this year's rose catalogues. I am so weak. I pour over these catalogues with an intensity that they don't deserve, coffee always at hand, and I enjoy the time immensely. I'm so easily sucked in by a well-written description too. I ordered a dozen Souvenir de la Malmaison one year like that - from a delicious description that quite removed from my generally practical mind such things as the fact that it is one of the most temperamental of roses with its susceptibility to powdery mildew as well as its propensity to 'ball' at the merest sniff of rain.

In the kitchen we've been making pesto with the season's basil crop and freezing it in batches to last the winter. Pesto is fantastic used as a dip, stirred into pasta, added to soup, or cooked with chicken. We love it to death around our Peaceful Home. We've also been freezing the Thai basil into ice cubes with a bit of olive oil, and picking and freezing the chilis as they ripen. The rest of the apples not made into chutney we've cooked with a bit of sugar and popped into the freezer. Imagine apple and blueberry crumble in the dead of winter with lashings of custard and icecream. Yummio!

We've seem to have been practicing the Art of Hospitality with some increased regularity recently. It's been a rare week without the pleasure of house guests, and we seem to have been entertaining at least one or two extra bods at most evening meals lately. The autumn harvest from the vegie garden is not going to waste (only to waist. Sigh.)

Um, what else can I tell you? Oh yes, two new staff members at work have been taking up my time during the day in the nicest of ways. I always love the optimism of new staff members, although I must say that getting my head around new wage and condition awards has left me a little boggle-eyed and well earning my own pay packet.

We're up to week 4 of term two at school. Today Jemimah will sit the MEP End of Year (IPMA) test, which will finish up Year 3 of MEP in perfect time for our holiday. Exams are great, she reckons - especially maths ones - because they come with packets of Smarties to use as manipulatives... We're also finishing up the second book of Pilgrim's Progress - Christiana's Story. I'm feeling a little bit sad that we've reached the end of this classic book, and that Jemimah's scroll too, is complete. You should see it - it's a beauty!!

Apart from this, school toddles on much as usual. I am always overwhelmed by friends who are able to post homeschool updates every week and tell of all the new and exciting things they're doing with their kiddiewinks. We just seem to do the same stuff week in-week out. Still, we like it like that and we're happy, so that's hunky dory.

Preparation for our holiday is underway. We'll be in Tokyo in less than a week now. (Note to self: Email Sue!) I'll post separately what Jemimah and I are reading and doing in preparation for our trip.

Well, that's us. I suppose that instead of writing about life, I should go live it!

Love you, my bloggy pals.

Ah yes, life's good.