Changing Gears

Yesterday at the beach we were carefree and relaxed.

Today Laura started school.

Her last "first day" in primary school, so mine too.

My piano students phoned to see if we would start lessons today, and I said "why not?" and with half an hour's notice began my teaching for 2011.

Time for my brain to get into gear.

It has been a hot day, in the high 30s, and my brain is resisting getting into gear.

I walked this morning at 6.00am when it was cool, which both energised me and tired my legs.

With my energy I vacuumed and tidied a little of the detritus of the holidays in the living room.

Emily doesn't start school till tomorrow, so we had a slow day together, she is snuffly with a cold. Around lunchtime we headed out for some op-shopping then lunch and more shopping at a lovely shop, I'll show you our purchases soon.

Laura arrived home from school hot and tired and grumpy, but she had a good start to the year.

Now at 6.30pm the temperature is still 34 deg C, and I am thankful for airconditioning.

Time to make dinner (felafels)

.. and time to start getting my brain into gear.

Last Burst of Summer

Less than three hours ago I was here.

Walking in this.

Breeze in our hair,

salt on our skin ...

... enjoying the beach for the first time this summer.

But tomorrow ...

school begins ...

and life changes

and goes on ...

Crazy in the Kitchen

I finished the phone call with my mum and this is what I found.

A mad chef had taken residence in our home.

I guess that's what happens

when you leave polyfill around a creative teenage mind ...

The Taste of Summer

We have been enjoying home-grown tomatoes for weeks, now.

This year I bought organic seedlings at our local markets in a few varieties and they have all grown so well.

The little yellow pear tomatoes are the sweetest.

As you can see below, we have a variety of sizes!

Every night with our dinner we have a tomato salad:

Diced tomatoes

Basil (also from the garden)

Crumbled Feta

drizzled with Olive Oil

(and sometimes Caramelized Balsamic Vinegar)

- yum!!!

We still have bowlfuls of tomatoes on the kitchen bench, and more on the bushes. When they end we won't be eating many tomatoes till next summer, as we don't enjoy shop-bought tomatoes at all!

A New Year and a Word

It seems that although I've been reading LOTS of blogs lately, I haven't actually blogged myself - all year!

So ... Happy New Year to you!

We have been taking it easy for the last few weeks since Christmas, and it's been lovely. Christmas Day and Boxing Day were great times with extended family and after that we just settled down with our iPods and iPad and TV ... The epitomy of the modern digital family, in fact.
Lots of games, lots of blog-reading, DVDs, late nights and sleeping in. Oh I am enjoying it while it lasts ... And it will for the next few weeks -bliss!

(Oh and we have done a few things - a sleepover for my two nieces for 3 nights, Emily's birthday celebrations, a few appointments - just in case you think I'm actually glued to the sofa!)

Bloggers everywhere have been picking a word for their year.

My word?

GIVE

Giving money to the less fortunate

Giving attention to my family

Giving time to others

Giving my home for hospitality

Giving my unnecessary clutter to charity.

Giving and not hoarding

Giving and not getting

Giving and not complaining.

This is something I'm not good at, but it's time for me to grow up and learn to just GIVE!

Look what happened when Megan gave ...

And when Marla and co. gave ...

And I'm so inspired by Amy's giving!

What's your word for 2011?