With the continuous sunshine, and the faithful watering by a kind friend while we were away, we returned to find our veg patch happily blooming. The lettuces in particular are good, and the girls enjoy picking them before mealtimes. Our field is terribly overgrown. I’m feeling bad about it, as I don’t think it… Continue reading At home 22 July 2018
Category: Day by Day
Reflections on Tuscany 19 July 2018
We had such a special holiday. A mixture of adventure and exploration, soaking in the culture, and plenty of time to relax. This last is unusual for us, as we tend to be “doing” people, and even spend our holidays being fairly active. However, we knew we needed time to reflect, talk, read and… Continue reading Reflections on Tuscany 19 July 2018
15 July 2018
As I sit under the clear blue sky of Tuscany, bathed in warmth, listening to the crickets, occasional church bells calling the townsfolk to Mass, and watching the ants, lizards and a bird that looks very similar to an English sparrow, reflection comes easily. We’ve had two exciting trips; to Pisa and Florence. We are… Continue reading 15 July 2018
11 July 2018
We are into the third week of our holiday (school friends still have a week or so to go...hooray for college terms!), and we are in Italy! It’s every bit as beautiful as its many artists and photographers portray, and we feel hugely blessed to be here. It’s our first family holiday by plane, so… Continue reading 11 July 2018
Sports day July 2018
On a particularly hot, sunny afternoon, over a hundred homeschooling children and parents gathered in a local park for our annual Sports Day, abley organised by our wonderful group facilitator. It’s always a highlight of our homeschool calendar, with all ages joining in with various degrees of competitiveness....from toddlers determinedly persevering till they reach the… Continue reading Sports day July 2018
3 July 2018
This may be a long post; my days have been crammed to overflowing so I’ve not had the space to write. I sense we’ve come to an end of another season, with time now to reflect and re group, before we embark on the next one. Both boys have finished their college years. For Lanky… Continue reading 3 July 2018
18 June 2018
Lanky Dude’s exams are over! He’s worked so hard and conscientiously. He’s not sure whether he will get the A he needs (maths A level), but I think our homeschool journey has been good training in how we approach exams. God loves Lanky Dude and His purposes for our children can’t be overruled by exam… Continue reading 18 June 2018
Catapillars.
The children have always been bug collectors. Snails become suddenly loved pets and I find them escaping from their captivity into our home, earwigs are dug up and clutched in small hands, and tadpoles fished out of their natural habitat and transferred to our tadpole tank. This time, however, it’s become home to some catapillars. Last… Continue reading Catapillars.
Elderflower cordial. June 2018
June always brings an abundance of white, frothy elderflowers to our hedgerows. Although I welcome Mayflowers (hawthorn), elderflowers are more delicate and beautifully fragranced. Part of our annual rhythm involves making elderflower cordial. It’s fun and easy. I always used to make it in time for Lanky Dude’s birthday, to give to the mums of… Continue reading Elderflower cordial. June 2018
Last minute chick pea curry
I'm not very imaginative about cooking the everyday meals. For many years, until I finally succumbed to planning our meals, I’d get to 5pm, realise I had to get everyone fed quickly before the evening run of activities started and find any meat I had was frozen, and I'd no idea what to do with… Continue reading Last minute chick pea curry
Mothering through the seasons 