Belinda Moore

Isn’t Summer just so alive? It always seems to me to be the season for action and change. Everything grows so quickly, including the children!

AT HOME: The paint still isn’t here, so I’ve not got far on that new room or any other in fact! I’m sure once it arrives I’ll be wishing it never did - there’s more than 100L of paint to apply! The new back room now has a choice of five doors. We bought one from the hardware, and then were blessed with four free doors through Freecycle. This is wonderful, as there are several we intend to replace others and they’re all really lovely doors, and just the right size. A coat of paint and they’ll be perfect! I went to a LETS meeting again in November. I’m going to join Seed Savers Up North too. I feel really blessed to have such groups getting together in our local area, after having nothing like this where we used to live.

AT WORK: The future of Education Choices is still uncertain. I have contacted my writers, so let me know if any of you missed my update email during November. There are several parties currently exploring the options for keeping the magazine going. I’m unsure as to my involvement at this stage. There is a letter from Eleanor, explaining her situation, here.

My new column in Natural Child Magazine will be published from next month. I’m so happy to be involved with this great Life Media publication. Subscriptions to Natural Child, Natural Life and Life Learning are available through Spiral Garden.

I have been raising a bit of money for the HEA to recoup some costs from the conferences and continue the fantastic, varied work they do. They have several fundraising activities occurring right now and I encourage other home educators to help out where they can.

Spiral Garden is just delightful. It was a huge learning curve for me to help Melissa Baker set up the website. There’s still a lot of unfinished bits and pieces, but I’m getting to them a few at a time. Please email me if you want to join the subscriber list for Spiral Garden’s newsletters, or join through the My Account link on the main page.

ON THE FARM: The greenhouses are happening! The first one is 99% complete. It just needs a little reinforcing so it’ll last longer through wind and storms. There are new raised beds in there, a hanging basket of strawberries, dozens of new plants, paths of sawdust (the other mulch was breaking down too quickly) and a new-and-improved door! I am so happy with it, and it just feels productive already!

I am still adding to the fruit tree collection, and they’re still nestled in a corner of the greenhouse. With the regular rain we’ve been having, I think we might plant them out this weekend, and hope for a wet December. Lemonade, Meyer Lemon and a Bay Tree were my most recent purchases.

Of the three new “jungle birds” who just came in for a feed and a drink, one walked out of the forest with three chicks a couple of weeks ago! We were so surprised and don’t know if she came here with fertile eggs to lay inside her, or there’s a roaming rooster in the forest as well! We were given a rooster this month, and got 4 new chicks. They’re crazy cross-breds with amusing features and hopefully all hens! Counting the two we’re chook-sitting, I think there are 25 chickens out there now.

Our kitten, six-month-old Dash, died during November from a whip snake bite. It was really sad to lose him. We now have two new kittens - girls named Freckles and Luna. Let’s hope they stay away from snakes!

Our gelding, Sam, also died last Saturday. He was aging rapidly, but still eating and so on. I’m glad it was quick, but it was so sad to see Amber’s reaction. We are looking at getting two younger horses this month.

The cattle from across the creek mowed almost all of our paddocks before we and their owner were able to fence them out. We learned that our block isn’t able to support 60 head for more than about a week!

The peacocks and scrub turkeys still roam the perimeter. I don’t see much other wildlife, though. We did see a water dragon at the creek, and our neighbour reported a rainforest dingo spotted last week as well. I might go out with a torch one night when I’m feeling brave.

I’ve been busily spotting wild foods in the forest this past month. The latest and tastiest is the Millaa Vine (Elaeagnus triflora). It has small glossy leaves and red oval-shaped berries like a large lillypilly.

HOME ED.: During November we went Ten Pin Bowling, which we hadn’t done for over a year. Everyone had a fantastic time and we have vowed to do it again soon.

The children got their Christmas gift from Nana early. It’s the biggest, best trampoline and easily fits all six of them. I happen to think it’s good fun too!

With Spring bringing flowers and fruit to many of the trees, the children have had fun identifying trees we didn’t know the names of before. And some trees and vines currently have fruit on, which is always a bonus on a long, rambling walk.

It’s warm enough to swim in the creek more often, and we’re exploring rocks to jump from and rapids to ride down while the water is quite calm. During the wet season it will be a bit more scary!

The children put up the Christmas tree (already) and are working on cards and gifts. They got out the Christmas books and CDs and have been reading stories and singing carols. We have a lovely handmade advent calendar made by dear friends, there are gifts from December 1 to 24 - so everyone is very excited to begin taking turns to receive a gift.

We also caught up with lots of homeschooling friends new and old. As well as the usual busyness of parties, movies, art class, violin lessons, a visit to the bat hospital and a trip to Cairns.

Add to that the usual maths, Italian, letter writing, craft and building projects, library visits, movies, music, drawing, gardening, animal-care, and laying on the grass to stare at the clouds - life is full of learning here!