Ode to Wisconsin

the place where I am from

 how I wish I was there now to lend my voice and support. 

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on whats going on.


Or as seen in the papers - The Guardian , BBC , Al Jazeera, New York Times

Wednesday's Cornerview: Blue

a blue galleria in the center of Attard


for the latest corner view theme
go here - http://www.fuoriborgo.com/

Not far away

My heart and mind keep coming back to what is happening just miles from this island....

(photo from the the Al Jazeera site)

a few minutes ago I read this quote from one of the few voices able

to come out of Libya at the moment (as you probably know the internet for the most part is being blocked and foreign journalist are not allowed in the country).

(From the BBC World news live feed on the Middle East and North African unrest)

11:40 pm 21st Feb.

Mohamed from Tripoli in Libya sent this: "President Clinton said that the one thing he regretted during his presidency was that he didn't intervene in Rwanda. Will President Obama regret not intervening in Libya... You can stop this so please don't stand and watch us fade away."

His words send chills down my spine, I hope someone from the outside does something 

(besides verbally condemn the voilence) soon.

Fancy a walk?

Am taking you along with us again, hope you don't mind. 

A small morning hike.

This time- Northward.

Following the remains of a road, past an old man and his horse training for what looks like the charriot races, some friendly dogs and a church tucked up among the cliffs ( a place near Mtahleb) 

the wild winds howling away.

The raging rain storm having left the land looking a bit shaken. 

A cheery yellow dog leading us along (notice that little cluster of houses below).

Down the hill past blooming almond trees. 

Tall wispy fennel plants and groves of lemon trees heavy with fruit.

Down through what seemed to be a ghost village, of 7 or 8  buildings, only one looked like there may be someone living in it.... the others had been abandoned and left to the elements... 

Then past a tiny cared for vineyard

to a place where a smal stream trickled by and tadpoles were spotted

through something like a bamboo jungle

past banana trees!

and pretty little flowers 

(wish I knew their name)

**That yellow dog spent the whole morning with us and then jumped in the car between the kids, as if he belonged there.  Felt cruel to drive off and leave him behind watching us, 

such a happy cheerful fellow. 

Back home.

Windblown and rosy cheeked, date scones and a pot of hot tea.

What one brings back from England (part 1)

Aside from hmm hmmm perhaps an item or two of clothing from H&M or White Stuff

is a BOOK! 

or two!

Am already lost in it and LOVING this book(thank you Adele), 

especially for those who have lived or traveled in India (or Nepal)you will 

with really enjoy this one!

Book 2 was

yet another you-know-what...(cookbook!)

I have a problem, I am a sucker for a nice looking cookbook,

this one is all vegetarian and will be put to use this weekend.

Back

from that city by the sea that I once called home- Brighton, England.

Slipped away solo for a few days to visit with friends, walk the lanes, and enjoy scrumptious delights in little cafes and restaurants. Feel very lucky to have been able to take the trip. 

Back now to Malta and to the task of guiding my students towards that looming horizon called mid yearly exams... off to steer the ship of anxious (and a few very rowdy) youths.

After a little lazy reading

with the kids

(this book comes highly recommended)

on a Saturday morning.......

coffee and a full 

Breakfast

we went off on a little adventure 

down a new road......

Past the wheat fields, green with new growth

Near the sea

Beyond a tower 

to a windy field filled with yellow flowers

not long after sitting the winds changed 

and dark clouds covered the horizon so back we came... 

and just in time! 

Wednesday's Cornerview: Evening Light

 I am very fond of  the closing softness of the day, it's golden light. 

Friday!

I leave the house at 7 every morning and cross the island to the school I teach at, tucked in a valley in the far north of the island. This photo was caught out the car window on my way to work.

Happy Friday to you all.... I for one am sooooo glad it's here.

Has been one of those weeks, not time for Maltese lessons, not even time for Zumba class

(which is mighty fun!)

the finale to a crummy week was slamming my own hand in the car door - have a black thumb today.

Wednesday's Cornerview: Favourite Artist

This was a hard choice but here is one I certainly am fond of, Carl Larsson, I like his  gentle calm window onto family life. His ability to paint snow with all it's subtle textures in the northern light of winter. lastly I  like his pallet of colours. 

Happy Weekend

Its time again for kumquat ricotta cheese cake (recipe here), 

our little tree's branches are heavy with fruit!

It also is the season of artichokes so I will be stuffing them soon (recipe) mmmmmm, 

looking forward to it!

Aside from some left over smiles from a Zumba class, food is clearly on my mind, 

have not been cooking as much as usual this year and I miss it! 

Hope you are sleeping in, enjoying a slooooowwww coffee and the paper ...or a leisurely conversation as you walk with an old friend, so many small pleasures to have when the weekend comes, 

don't you think? 

* Special note, we had the unexpected pleasure last weekend of having round some guests from Sicily, a blog friend you may know (Dim Sum, Bagels and Crawfish) and what a treat it was!! A delight to meet her and the rest of her lovely family in person, (it felt almost like an old friend coming round for tea!)
.... good conversations, laughter  and excited happy kids all around! 

New books and tunes

From the book Orlando the Marmalade Cat, a camping holiday.

Pictured above is his wife singing to the family before bed.

Nothing like some new books to start the new year off right-

 (on my end Country Driving, a journey through China from farm to factory)

As for music- this is the latest hit in our house.

The original song that my kids got hooked on in the car yesterday and which may well become the theme song for the start of 2011 and this is a version that is pretty darn sweet.

Happy New Year

(after dinner round the tree)

We are all back to the small rock (it is green and bursting with flowers at the moment)

Just in time for school to begin tomorrow. 

Our adventure into the snowglobe of Wisconsin was like some kind of dream, candlelit dinners with many near and dear. Sledding hills and late night walks under that blue stillness of moonlight on snow. 

Sleeping late (eight counts as late in my world),  

sitting next to the fireplace putting together small pieces of a puzzle (perhaps an overly ambitious one) sipping eggnog or hot toddies. 

Yes.  

Slowing down felt wonderful.

Coming home...to our noisy alley. and our little home.

The kitty safe, well cared for and rounder. The inlaws open arms
and ready for that bubble of little voices.

Yes coming home
can be a kind of sweetness too. 

Now facing work- the hard bit.. 

I hope to post and visit others but I fear these next few months will be again running to stand still... 

I will do my best. 

I hope you have enjoyed the turning of another year and that there are some tender memories you too are folding away for a rainy day. 

Happy 2011  

Time for cookies

Hazelnut  crescents,  gingerbread cookies and chocolate dipped walnut stuffed figs, yes it is time again for baking and sweets. School days have ended and I am nervously watching the airport departures online. will be travelling the next few days, so till after the holidays - Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to one and all! (those that celebrate Christmas)
  Shall be back in the new year. 

Local Talent

Part 2.

Perhaps yes perhaps I have spotlighted this artist before.

Her latest creations (it's the winter addition you see) are so sweet that I can't help but show them off 

For the lovely E. enjoying being  back in France I hope. 

Find her here and her shop here. 

Surprises

This weekend there have been a few of the good sort, like this gift from Portugal. 

S. you know me well- nice soap!!! 

a little something for someone else (love the picture and the tea) 

what a better thing to do then pass it on.

and then came the surprise that my gang- (the Mr. and child A.B. and C.) 

did indeed land in the windy city but with them arrived a major blizzard so they are stuck 

and I feel 100,000 miles away.  You see I needed to stay and teach so they all went first. 

I miss them already and am counting the hours till I can call and hear their little voices 

(and tales of the wind and snow and hotel room details)! 

(these two snow photos were not taken by me)

From sunny 14 degree (Celsius) Malta wishing you all a good start to the week and oh!!! 

Happy Santa Lucia Day! 

Winter Feasts

I went to collect my Italian friend for our weekly evening stroll around the harbour (The Grand Harbour as it is officially called). Just down the street I met this procession, the Bormla Feast was in full swing and the local statue was making her solemn way through the narrow streets. Its been a bumpy week of late nights,work stress and kid mishaps (my little Mr. T had a bit of  crash and is pretty battered and bruised).
The chance meeting with this statue as she made her annual pilgrimage through the village streets was a highlight of the week, isn't she stunning?

Sometimes

A slow weekend feels utterly delicious ....

a few of my gang were under the weather so we sadly had to opt out of picnic and art sessions
but with the cold winds finally blowing (its around 13 now) (nothing like the white wonderland the South of England has been having or Germany or Wisconsin or Colorado) but it felt really cold to us, so it was nice to stay in, cut out paper snowflakes, get down the Christmas box, put some lights up (and with my Mr. Grinch away working) I could blast cheesy Christmas songs with no worry!

The wild ones; magpie, lego-head and D are the most excited yet.. every day really is a count down
(which confuses little D so she plays it safe and every morning asks to be sure- is it today??!!! Christmas birthday is today?! ) NOOOOoooooo come all our  voices ....not yet.
 I think in her mind Christmas is Father Christmas's birthday.
We baked cookies and danced around to Louis Armstrong's ... Zatt you Santa Claus.
I do love the season... time again for chocolate chestnut soup!
Happy start of December to you all.

Confessions

Am blown over at the moment, 

back to work full time is one thing and first year of full time teaching another. 

Parents day (half way through) is quite an experience I must say, when its from the teacher side..(till now I had only been on the parent side). 

Back to the confession bit... so I have no time

 none at all,

 not for crafting, 

emailing , calling, creativity in cooking or baking 

or sewing these days and for sure not time enough to be up to date with

 the laundry or  the housework 

but

 I have somehow managed to squeeze in 

(READ -  make time for)

 Wee 30 min bits of time 

to watch this new series (not so very new I guess but new to me)

  I heard an interview about it recently 

(on the radio show NPR fresh air) 

 it's a show called In Treatment. 

I  have never gone to therapy myself but

 I find the premise and the episodes fascinating

very thought provoking ...(and very well acted)

 so yes I ought to be ... dusting, sweeping folding laundry, preparing lunches, signing fieldtrip forms, making up field trips forms and worksheets  but I am in all honesty trying also to fit in a bit of 'me' time ...a.k.a wake up the mind time... something apart from the family and work.. 

sometimes we all need that  right? 

 I know I do ....to feel whole.. and alive.. this new series is my guilty indulgence... 

what about you? 

What bit of 'me' time do you make time for ? 

*apologies another Cornerview missed, I may have to remove myself for this year. 

Let us

go away....

to a small island 

(called Gozo)

and bring the wild ones

and notice the silent old houses

past the blown rocks

down to windows which frame the cobalt sea

for some bursts of happiness, laughter, food and wine

and let us make some time to give thanks... 

Happy belated Thanksgiving to those of you out there who are American (North American).