A lot on my mind. A lot on the horizon.

As I am headed into my fourth day without one of my team-teaching partners, I am feeling quite good and believe it or not, positive! (Get well quickly Lucy and Loretta!)

Go back about three weeks and I was feeling the most down, the most bottom that I have EVER felt. Hard to explain. Long, drawn out and boring. Let's just say that the doctor said I had a virus! It has taken a long time to climb back up to my usual glass half full self! I think I am finally here. I must be as I am even blogging!

I have so much and the distant and not too distant future. I thought I would try writing them down as dot points. Please bare with me...

• This Saturday, the house I am living in is up for auction. I am hoping so hard that an investor buys it and wants me to stay on (this is the only thing worrying me right now)
• School holidays begin in 3 weeks (YAY!). I am headed to visit a great friend in Noosa (DOUBLE YAY!)
• Right at the same time as I head to Noosa, my oldest BFF is moving to Hong Kong. I am mostly excited by this. I am so excited for Jodi and her husband Wayne but also scared about how much I will miss them. They currently live .5km from me. Jodi and I went to high school together! Jodi will be commuting for about six months so I guess I will miss Wayne most initially (He really is like a big brother. I completely consider him family)! The positive is the chance to visit Hong Kong lots and lots!
• At the very end of Noosa (the day before I head home), my sister, her husband and my precious little niece arrive back in Melbourne. This I am VERY excited about. I haven't met Eva yet. I can't wait!! Oh, the cuddles!
• In October Mum turns 60 (shhhh, don't tell anyone). The whole family is headed up to Sydney for a long weekend. We will be staying in Manly and have booked Doyles for Mum's birthday lunch! WOW! I even plan on meeting a blogger friend.
• Milla turns 6 in October and thank god those important people are not going anywhere. I need them!
• Then at Christmas, my sweet Japanese friend Tomoko and her mum are travelling all this way to see ME! How lucky am I? They'll be here for around 10 days over new years.

After all that, I can breathe. I have probably forgotten something. More things will probably pop up. Here's to the adventures ahead...

KitKat critics

I love the seasonal food available in Japan. The seasonal KitKats are perhaps the most fun! Each time I head over there, I hunt around for what is in store at that time of year. I collected quite a stash in January. It has taken me until now to photograph them and add them to my blog and flickr accounts.

I also took them to a friend's house last night so that her kids could be the critics!

They munched their way through the lot. Tasting a little of each. Here are their faves as I remember...

O (10 year old boy) - number one was Cookies Plus with Green Tea last

P (5 year old girl) - number one was Strawberry with Potato last

A friend is coming over from Japan at Christmas time. I guess I should ask her to start collecting new flavours for me now.

Cookie Plus.
Green Tea.
Strawberry (anyone got an actual translation?)
Candied Potato.
Yuzu (Japanese citrus)
Lucky Little - cherry blossom - sakura

Totty

Totty is super cute. It is a simple story of turtles hatching and racing to the sea. Some repetitive text such as "dig, dig, dig" and "huff, puff, huff, puff" add to the simple story.

Totty is coming last to reach the sea but finds a shell to ride ahead of his brothers and sisters. He arrives first and waits for them before swimming off into the sunrise.

Today's book...

I totally and utterly wasn't going to buy any books today. Today was all about the fabric. These holidays are all about the fabric. Anyway, I digress. You guessed it, I bought a book. For me and yes it is a kids book.

Have you heard about Don't Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus? I don't have it but I know it is very popular. Today I bought another book by the same author. It is hilarious!

The little mole, Wilbur, is the only naked mole rat who wears clothes. He gets teased a lot. It is all about him feeling okay about being a bit different. About him being brave. Great lessons in this one as well as being totally sweet!

A book made for travelling

I recently purchased this sweet little board book. Everyone knows the Hungry Caterpillar (don't they?).  I knew that my sister had been gifted this book early in her pregnancy - no need for me to double up! I did however spot the 'buggy' or 'pram' version at a local store. Perfect. It is small and light weigh. It attaches to your pram or cot with a bright red, stretchy coil. Each page contains a bright picture of a particular food the caterpillar munches through coupled with a single word like 'apple'. 

I try to buy simple board books for Eva. Simple stories, single words or even no words paired with beautiful, bright illustrations.  I haven't saved this book for her return... This one flew over to London to begin its life in the right place, right on her buggy!

She arrived...

Just a quick post to anyone who missed the news (I twittered, facebooked and SMSed it everywhere but forgot to blog)

Little EVA JEAN was born on the 11th of April. An Easter baby. The very best present that Easter Bunny could have delivered.

The family are doing well and Mum and Dad are over in London with them.  I just have to wait a while to meet my niece in the flesh (have done so via skype so far).

And my heart grows...

Petr Horacek

Author number one... Petr Horacek.  I love this author/illustrator.  It was the illustrations that caught my eye in the beginning.  They are bright and wonderful.  Open each book and it gets better and better...  The stories are simple and easy to follow with repeating and directional text such as over, under and through.

Choo Choo was the first book that I bought.  It just caught my eye.  I had no idea who Petr Horacek was.  
My god-daughter Milla and I chose this book during an outing to Borders.  We both loved how the story followed the little mouse through the pages.  It wasn't until I got home that I realised I now had two Petr Horacek books.  It was from this moment on that I was on the hunt!

I moved over to the Book Depository to look for more of Petr's books.  This online store is fabulous.  Books are usually affordable and cheaper than Amazon as there is no postage.

I bought my three most recent Petr Horacek books...

Hello Little Bird... Sweet
What is Black and White.  I love this one.  The texts repeats between "A goose is white", "A crow is black".  Each page is slightly shorter than the page before.  As the pages turn, the left of the book has long black and white stripes.  More and more appear until the final page which says... "A Zebra is black and white".  The body of the zebra is made up of the page stripes.  Lovely!!!
Beep Beep.  This is my favourite book so far.  The text uses words like over, around and through as the family travel in their car to Grandma's house.  Super lovely!

My baby library...

My sister and brother in-law are about to have their first child (not sure if it is a boy or girl - doesn't matter at all except for the shopping issue for me).  It is an exciting time.  Each time my phone rings or I get an SMS, my heart seems to skip a beat...

They live in London right now and are planning to return by Christmas.   Postage is one expensive issue!  Keeping all of this in mind, I am not planning on sending much over to them unless I think they will use it between now and then.  I have been thinking hard about what kind of presents I should buy.

This is where the baby library comes in.  Not a teeny tiny, small library but, a library for the baby!  From the time my sister was about 8 weeks pregnant, I have been buying books a few times a month.  I have been buying mostly board books but also several hardback picture story books.  I have collected picture story books for as long as I can remember and it works like a kind of relaxation therapy for me.  If I feel stressed or run down, I just head over to a favourite book shop and buy a book... Bliss!

I am planning to give these books to my sister when she gets back to Melbourne and presto... Instant library for the baby.

I am pretty fussy about the kind of board books I will buy.  They have to be simple and effective.  No long stories!  Single words per page are okay but these books have to be beautiful or clever!  My favourites have a short story and beautiful bring illustrations.  I think I am going to share some of my purchases and review books here.  Read if you share my love or read if you'd love an idea for a new book.

Anyway, thanks for dropping by...

Welcome to blog world...

Visit this friend of mine.  She's joined the blog world!

The love of crafting has always been there!

I guess that in some ways I have always been a bit of a crafter.  Though, I have always crafted in fits and starts.  Crazily knitting beanies all of one summer for example.  I remember being in the group to help the craftily challenged when in grade 6.  Somehow I always manage to be 'too busy' to really sit down and really enjoy any particular craft.

Circa 2005 (whilst living in Japan) I found my lovely friend Sooz via Loobylu's blog.  A whole world of crafting, the kind I love, opened up to me!

I have been to two crafter's weekends with this person, this person, this person and of course this person...

There had been lots of talk about the Stitches and Craft show coming up in Melbourne so I planned to go. 

The night before I felt like a kid about to be let loose in a toyshop.  The show totally didn't let me down.  It was WONDERFUL!  I loved it.  I spent a little bit and wanted to spend so much more!!

Here is most of the fabric I bought... Already stitched up.  I bought a green/orange pack from, Leni and Rose?

The boarder green was from Kelani.
Still have to do the quilting bit.  
You can't see it in the photos, but the back in a blanket off cut from Pear Tree.  Oh, Pear Tree how I love thee!
This lot is my favourite.  Very precious.  I am hoping to collect enough to make a quilt for my own bed.  You can see a wonderful pack from Green Olive.  The birds are you know who... yes Kristen Doran.  Love her!  And... Shannon, I'd like you to know I bought from you.  I didn't just pickup and put back.  I do wish I bought more though... I LOVE all of your wares!!!

In other news...
I won a blog giveaway.  How lucky am I.  These little felt bowls are much sort after and now I have one.  Thanks to the lovely Jo over at Jelly Baby for making the bowl and hosting the giveaway.
And here it is in situ.  Don't you just love it...

I feel the Earth move...

... under my feet - again!

Did you feel that?  Another tremor.  What is happening in Melbourne?  We aren't supposed to have Earthquakes here.  I lived for two years in Japan and it was an expected occurrence but not here!  That is two quakes in about two weeks.  It is almost exciting...

P.S. I wasn't imagining it.  See...

Melbourne's Age

Melbourne's Herald Sun

Suzie and me

ellen and suzie
Originally uploaded by muppinstuff

Having fun on The Great Ocean Road! Photo taken by Sooz and posted by Janet.

A flash back to Kyoto

I love furoshiki.  I do seriously believe it is one of the best inventions/ideas to come from Japan.

Each visit, I buy a few more for my stash.  I use them to carry objects, wrap things up and of course, as bags.

Before my most recent visit I found a shop called Kakefuda where they make and print their own furoshiki.  They are stunning.  Each one is very large and costs about 5000 yen... With the currnet exchange rate, that is about $90aud.

I found a map to Kakefuda via their website.  I also located them using Google maps (as seen above).  I committed this map to memory.  I guess I am pretty good at directions and I know Kyoto pretty well.  Even so, I was very proud of myself when we arrived at the store with no problems.  My Japanese friend Tomoko was so surprised (she knows the low level of my Japanese!)
Here is the bike that marks the shop.  It is always parked out front.  We chatted to the owner and I had to buy one (even though it was sooooo expensive!).  No regrets.  I am so proud that I found the store.  I LOVE my furoshiki!

A special moment amongst so much sadness and loss

As Victoria has burnt, so many tears have been shed.  I am so lucky that friends and family are safe and well.  I find myself watching the news, listening to the radio and reading the paper or internet to find out the latest news.  It is like you have to know but don't want to know.  You ask yourself if this is really happening!!!  I gets tears over the happy stories and the sad (of course).  The front of the paper is plastered each day with some smiling child who has lost parents or even their own lives.

I find that I am continually waiting for the wonderful stories amongst this mess.  This one is amazing.  A wild creature finding help from a human.  You really should read this story and take a moment to watch the video stream.  Makes me cry in the better way!

A personal wonderful moment comes all the way from Honduras.  Many years ago we had an exchange student from Central America.  She stayed a year and then went home... We basically lost touch for so many years.  Mum and Dad got a call out of the blue the other morning from her.  She was worried about us after seeing the fires plastered all over Honduran news!  She now has our email addresses and I hope this means we'll keep in touch more.  The family grows...

With the cool change, the fun outside begins again

A game of hopscotch anyone?  Not bad for a five year old about the start school!
Numbers backwards but give the girl a break as she was writing them upside down.
All ready to go...
Pause,
And return.  It was so much fun Milla, wasn't it?

It is damn hot in Melbourne

This is the 'ambient' temperature my car displayed after work today.  That is 52 degrees Celsius not Fahrenheit.  52 degrees Celsius = 125.6 degrees Fahrenheit!

The reality is that it was about 43 degrees and will be for the rest of the week.  Please help us!

Welcome to Flickr Annie

I am happy to say that I finally convinced Annie to join Flickr.  Her pictures are so good.  Drop by and check them out and add her as a contact if you are a Flickr user too. 

Not a great pic but I like the cut!

We will see how it washes and wears...  Give me a week to decide if I really like it!

Time for a haircut

Photo tomorrow - if you're lucky!

Twas the night before Christmas...

Where ever you are... I hope you have a wonderful Christmas amongst family or loved ones.  Eat and be merry.  I look forward to an exciting and eventful 2009 with a lot (or at least a little bit) more blogging.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!