Cheese

This week has seen Arden and I back into following the seasons; and in particular the moon- focusing on it's rising and it's setting.  As well as doing this, we've also been learning to make cheese, starting with ricotta.  I'm not sure I'll ever want shop ricotta again our home made versions were sooo good.

This is ricotta number one, made with milk and an extra cup of cream.  *Everyone's* favourite.

Ricotta number two was made with my buttermilk, but since it was fresh buttermilk and not soured, we needed to add lemon juice for the curdling.  We felt this was average and only as good as the shop ricotta.  (One that I would normally think was worth baking with spices.)

This is ricotta number 3 made with our souring milk, almost as good as the extra cream ricotta from day 1.

We only strained our ricotta for 10-15mins to keep the creaminess in.  Ricotta is *soooo* easy to make and so much tastier home made I'm not sure I'll ever buy it again.

Gabriel and I have been making progress on our blues guitar, and I'm starting to feel like I can play a bit.  Haven't asked Gabriel how he feels he's going, but hopefully we're both getting somewhere!?  Arden has got a few songs that he's becoming familiar with on  harmonica as well as his Gilbert and Sullivan selection and his own creations now.  He's also coming along nicely with violin lessons with Willow; they are now starting to work on learning his first song.  Willow is singing Iolanthe endlessly; and of course so is Irving.  I'm sure before long it will be driving me as mad as Pirates did last year!

Gabriel is working on a biology block currently and reading "A Leg to Stand On" by Oliver Sacks.  He's also reading "Romeo and Juliet" for English, and I was hoping to find a copy of "Iolanthe" to read.

Arden is starting on his first hand sewing project; a pair of pyjamas for summer, and Gabriel is starting to put together his tie.  Irving has fallen in love with Arden's gingham pyjamas that I made, so I'm hoping to start him some this afternoon.

Willow has been busy singing and writing, and we need to sit down and have a focused chat again with Damien.  I find it hard at this time of year, when everyone's in a production, as it takes up quite a bit of free time.  Gabriel and Arden both have small rolls in Iolanthe, so it's just Irving and I hanging out this year!

Today we are showing Class Dismissed (again!).
https://www.facebook.com/events/799938486817918/

Yesterday was Samhain for the Southern Hemisphere, so we went Pumpkin shopping and had pumpkin pie and carved a lantern, and shared mulled wine, was a very pleasant end to the week.

Pirates, Angels and Busking

We have had an amazing few days. Friday night we headed to Scarborough beach to watch Gilbert and Sullivan's HMS Pinafore. Was lovely sitting by the Sea and watching a performance. Plus it was interesting to see another beach here, the all seem a bit different. The sand was very powdering, and I was reminded of shots of beaches in Sydney, the water was churning a lot, and the coast was very bright and plain.


Saturday, we headed into Perth to see 'Place des Anges'. It was a very magical experience, with aerial performers as Angels, throwing feathers from up high onto the city. The feeling and experience reminded me of being in the snow in Glasgow, when we lived in Scotland. It was so much fun, and after the feathers finished falling, they put on some music and everyone got in and played with and threw feathers. Everyone was smiling and it was just a joyous experience.


Finally today we went out busking, with Gabriel all dressed up in a bow tie and red hat. He had so many photos taken of him, it was very funny. He asked, at one point, if he was being mistaken for someone famous! I explained to him, it was just he looked quite stylish, and people don't expect boys to be dressed like that. We also chatted to a man about repairing guitars- he was repairing his in Central Park, on Hay St, and he recommended a book on learning guitar to Gabriel, so we will have to look that up later.

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2025

We did so much busking for years, and it all came to an end around covid time when Arden decided that he didn't want to do it anymore, and Irving wasn't keen to take it up either.  Irving had a couple of goes with Arden when he was very small, but the attention doesn't appeal to him I think.  

Quite a contrast to Willow who started us off on the journey, aged about 8, and decided that she needed money.  So she partnered up with a friend at Suzuki concert, and they both put out their violin cases and made some money.  After that Willow was convinced to keep busking, and she regularly busked at the Adelaide Farmer's Market, until we moved to Perth.