oh my

Almost everything ready, toys put away (every last teeny lego) , books in place, house swept, mopped and almost nearly all the mirrors and windows(particularly the big sliding doors in the kitchen that on a daily basis become the focus of indoor outdoor smushed faces) ...almost made it when ...  15 min before rushing off to the airport to pick up guests I notice as  I grab the last sewing pile off the guest bed red crayon lines ( loooong ones) across the middle of the sky blue comforter cover. Then I flick back the covers to discover that my son, the five year old who was home sick the other day with a cough and who had a 'nap' in that same room decided under the covers was a good place to sharpen all of his coloured pencils... so not only are there streaks of red across the cover and little bits of coloured pencils all over the inside but I don't have time to wash and dry another queen size white sheet.No dryer here just the roof top.  This is less than an hour after as I was putting wine glasses away I miscalculated the cupboard top and shattered one - which then sprinkled down all over my face and onto the girls having a picnic under the kitchen table.
One of those days.
 All three kids home sick, and if one is not asking me to 'fix' the binoculars string(it comes loose every 3 min), the other is asking for more paper and maybe some sparkly glue and some chocolate and can we pleeeaaase open number 12 on the advent calendar the other is demanding that I find those two (teeny tiny) lego pieces of which he desperately need s to make a helicopter propeller ( I have absolutely no clue in which toy box I tossed them). Breath, keep calm
...off to the airport!

May you all be having a better Friday then I.
by the way destructo's ever so pleasant way of asking for help as regards the string is thus
FIX ITTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!
FIX IT
FIX IT
FIX IT
until I do it ... which is about every 3 min.
(she does say thank you)

Winter in Malta

Winter has been far nicer this year then last (it was not just that I was totally stressed out with papers, presentations and teaching practice) but it seemed to be cold, damp and rainy all the time (you so miss central heating when you are wearing a coat and scarf in a lecture). This year it's sunny bright and warm. So weekends have been filled with walks in the countryside picking flowers and contemplating camping.

 We even had the romanticised  big family meal out in the country last weekend (out door oven shown in picture below)with large metal pans of roasted pork or potatoes, an old uncle with home made peppered goats cheese and wine. There was also an one old auntie or two equipped with after the meal freshly roasted peanuts and walnuts  (a Maltese tradition is eating nuts after dinner) and of course one or another of the grandmothers appears with chocolate gateau, and fresh brewed coffee with a touch of cloves. These are moments I think that I will hold in my memory when I think of living in Malta. The kids running wild in the tall grasses  and olive groves catching chameleons (who by the way are so very cute .. they move so slowly and really do change colour). Learned something new, (local lore says) you must never put them on something red, I guess it kills them. I was unfortunately wearing red so couldn't let him walk on my arm.

Being the midwesterner girl that I am though I do long for a blizzard, recently one struck the midwest and I admit to having spent a little too long looking longingly at facebook updates of snow covered trees and buried picnic tables. Crazy I know. But it feels very strange to be heading into Christmas time and barely needing a sweater.

 

(these two photos were taken by Deke Rivers of Madison Wisconsin)

shhh wild animals a foot

Christmas sewing happening in these parts. Letting the house ...ahem slip a bit.