Backlog of Reading!!!!! Agggh!

Well I've just finished this, and enjoyed it immensely. I've really enjoyed doing the handsewing projects over the last few years, and found that this added to my understanding of this style of work in general. Plus it's very entertaining.

(2025- I did have a link here that no longer worked, and tbh I have no idea what I was referring to anymore, some of my early handsewing  experiences included Waldorf doll making but I'm not sure that's what I was referring to!)

For our final blocks for last year we used these two books.

This one for class 3 work

Celtic Wonder Tales

Everyone particularly loved the horse stories at the end.

And this for class 5

Tales of the Greek Heroes
The Greek Mythology was enjoyed by all- and the plan is to read some more of it. Likely we'll read some of Padric Colum's versions.

Anyhow it seems there'll be some planning to do soon- class 6, which Willow will help me organise this year, and class 4 for Gabriel.

2011

We've welcomed in the New Year, and had a fairly quiet start all round, visiting family and going shopping seems to be the order of the day so far. Adelaide has been very quiet with all the public holidays, and I rather like it. The media here, likes to make a fuss about Adelaide being in the dark ages- but after travelling it seems to me that the media is very good at illustrating their own ignorance. Paris was dead all weekend almost everywhere come Saturday afternoon, as was all of Germany that we visited. Why shops need to be available 24/7 is beyond me.

Activity wise Gabriel and I did some work on make a gourd bowl each- his for a friend, and mine for fun, and our own lacquer to go with it. Not sure on the success of the lacquer yet, but the bowls look quite nice.


Gabriel's bowl


Christmas time involved us making a Christmas log, which we were quite happy with. The recipe was varied to accommodate Gabriel- no flour- but instead chestnut and coconut flour, and our WAP principles- coconut sugar and rapunzel chocolate. It was a great success.



Under construction


Christmas log recipe from Poh's kitchen can be found here!


For this same lunch Willow made roast chicken, and a lovely table setting to decorate the table with. All in all it was a lovely meal.

We have a few projects around here still waiting to be finished. I've started knitting a jumper for Arden, but have been a bit sidetracked by a major clear out, some reading, and christmas time. Willow has not finished her second sock yet- but is getting closer, and we only just made a start at our woodwork project- largely due to lack of tools. Our collection of wood is sitting very neatly at the back door waiting for some love! On a more positive note Gabriel did manage to finish crocheting his hat!

Back to Life

Willow had her final opera performance Saturday, so we are settling back into our normal life here this week. Gabriel, Damien and I attended the opera on Saturday and had a fabulous time. It was amazing seeing Willow up infront of so many people, and so calm and centred throughout it. The story was lovely, and all the children did an amazing job.

This week we've been back to our normal school routine which has been nice. Willow is doing some national geography and history. Gabriel is doing some more maths, going over things we've already covered, as well as looking at money, and decimals in relation to money.

Story wise we're reading 'Playing Beatie Bow', which gives a good outlook on what Sydney was like in the 1800's.

Performance Time

Well Willow had her first Hansel and Gretel performance last night. She had a fabulous time, and has been enjoying the whole process. Over time the rehearsals have moved from the Opera centre at Netley, to the Grainger studios and finally at the Adelaide Festival theatre. Willow's part is in the choir at the end of the opera, and she is one of the Ballerinas. Last night she brought home the opera booklet, and it was quite exciting to see her name there in the list of children in the choir. Anyhow for the last 6weeks or so this has kept us very busy, so it's nice to have it coming to an end, though Willow is keen to do more of this sort of stuff.

Otherwise we've been discussing fertility, doing gardening around here and celebrating a blended Beltane/Halloween. It's a bit tricky to be totally seasonal in our Celebrations here, when the non-Seasonal event is pushed so strongly here.

I've also booked Willow and Gabriel in for a bow making course next year, sounds fabulous. There are so many interesting things being planned in the local homeschool community at present. I'm organising a group in the Fringe Parade again, someone's organising a night at the zoo, then there's a chance to go to see Wicked at the theatre.

We finally went to see the pandas at the Zoo on Thursday. We were having a house inspection, so decided to go out. The Zoo certainly is becoming a nicer place for animals though I'm not very keen on it, overall. The pandas were very cute. We also saw some of the animals being fed-the sealions, the penguins, and the otters. The otters were very funny- squawking at their zookeeper to hurry up with their dinner.

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2025

You can see the long bows that Willow and Gabriel made in this post here.
https://unicorn-pegasus.blogspot.com/2011/04/onto-block-two-and-recent-activities.html

This was the beginning of Willow deciding that she wanted to be an opera singer, for the next seven years or so her primary interest was music and there were all sorts of musical things going on to help her achieve her year 12 goal of getting into a Diploma at WAAPA to study Classical Voice.

Willow being accepted at WAAPA.
https://unicorn-pegasus.blogspot.com/2017/02/new-year-mild-summer-high-school.html

Performance with Oratario.

https://unicorn-pegasus.blogspot.com/2017/05/april.html

Willow's take on Uni and studying Classical Voice.

https://unicorn-pegasus.blogspot.com/2017/06/adventures-of-homeschool-graduate.html

Botany Block Work

Sketches from Nature walks

The Soil

Monocot and Dicot picture

Leaf Diagram

What I am Reading and Have been Reading

Well in my usual style I'm reading too many books at once! Somehow in recent years, I've found reading a few books at once very effective for learning more than one thing at once.

Ishmael- Daniel Quinn
This one I have finished- and I would not recommend it at all, except for a section that discuss the Bible, and the idea that the story of the fall of Adam was written from the perspective of outsiders viewing it occurring- and that in their view man heading towards an agricultural based existence was a negative thing. The suggestion in the book was that it was written by the Semites.

Living Dolls
I also read this recently. Disturbing and fascinating. I am glad to live a life without the media. But also the more I read things like this, the more I think feminism needs to become a new movement of equality. Where men are embraced and encouraged to be part of a greater change that sees genders treated equally and fairly.

September Holidays and Events

Well Spring is truly here, and this time the rain seems to be staying for a bit- which is nice. We've put our strawberries in our front yard this year, and they are much happier. Our back area seems to do ok during winter, but doesn't get enough sunlight during the summer. Plus with the strawberries out the front, our bulbs all up, and some extra herbs in the garden, it's starting to feel much cosier. And just for Arden, we put in a little path that loops around the bench!

Over the last month, many things have happened- the most uninteresting bit, was that I was sick last week. And one of the best bits, was that I now have a solution to giving Arden cod liver oil. I bought some of the gummy fish, which he likes, and also the butter oil with CLO, which he also likes- but loves with a bit of honey. So it's nice to have that sorted out.

We also went away-down south east. We visited friends in Kalangadoo, family near Mt Gambier, and friend and family in Melbourne. Along the way we drove along the Great Ocean Rd, which was stunning! and visited the National Gallery of Victoria to see the European Masters Exhibition. Sadly it all ended a bit too soon, we were hoping to see some of Ballarat, but Willow got a part in the state opera's Hansel and Gretel, so we had to leave Ballarat very early for her to get to her rehearsal.