Just a litte reminder

Be sure to visit our flickr for more pictures than are here on the blog. If you either click on (most) post pictures it will take you there, or you can click on the slideshow in the sidebar (which shows a rotation of recent pictures). Theres lots of good stuff there, so be sure to take a look.

Also remember that you can make comments to posts here in the blog! I see you are reading and would love to hear reactions and comments. Or just say hello!

Caroling On The Green

There was caroling on the village green last Thursday night, and despite frosty and foggy conditions many villagers came out and braved the elements, ourself among them, not being the type to miss an opportunity to gather and celebrate with song and good cheer. Thankfully we were supplied with lyric books, because the carols sung here are not all the ones that are popular and traditional in the states. This being our third Christmas here we are getting to be more familiar with them, but still not up to speed on all 7 verses of each carol. And trust me - they sing every.single.verse.every.time.

Some nice people from The Swan provided some delicious mince pies and hot mulled wine to warm the carolers and spread a little cheer. Once the pies were eaten and the wine sipped appreciatively, the caroling resumed with a murmur of excitement as the song leader announced that the next song was The Holy And The Ivy. And so it went into the evening until the group disbanded to do a little 'late night village shopping' on the one day a year that the shops stay open until around 8:30pm according to a leaflet I saw posted. Its true when I say its a different life here.

Axel took this picture of Anja riding a donkey at the Michael Hall School Christmas Fayre a couple weeks ago. Yes, she has no front teeth. She has,as far as I know, not asked for them to be replaced by Father Christmas.

Pigs Really Do Fly, It Turns Out

If anything can make swine take flight, what I did today would be the thing.


I mailed Christmas Cards in time for arrival before Christmas. I mailed Christmas Cards to people that I promised cards to.....2 years ago.

I even completed some gifts that I have been working on and am starting into my 'only if I have time' list. Nothing big of course. Little things that I can make whilst I am limited in what I can do. Writing cards was a full mornings activity for me, and involved adventures digging for addresses at the bottom of drawers. (I have never been good at keeping an address book. I need to fix that. ) And while it may not seem like much to most of the world, to me it was an enormous achievement and proof that the holiday spirit does indeed work miracles.

Three Cheers For Kiah!!!

After waiting oh so patiently for a couple months, Kiah got notice today that she made it to the next level of the application process to The Brit School where she is hoping to do her A-levels in the Theater program. She has been busy applying to other schools as alternate choices, but her big dream is to go to The Brit. It is very competitive and she understands this. So far she has shown dedication and self motivation which are so important in pursuing this sort of work. Now comes hard work in preparing for a character development workshop, individual meeting and performance of a self written piece. GULP!

So wish her well. This is no lightweight pop idol sort of dealio. This is a tough school. And I know she can do it.

Here is a picture of Kiah getting the good news today. Poor sweetie hasn't been feeling too well. (Dylan has been sick with a terrible cough, Anja is snuffly and Kiah has had a sore throat.) But the good news brightened her day right up!

Heading Into Winter

It is hard to believe that winter is just around the corner. This week we have started waking to frosty white ground and layers of ice on the puddles. The leaves have all fallen off the trees between our back yard and the horse fields. I love that. In spring and summer the trees give us our privacy and help us feel less exposed and then in the hibernation of winter we can see out to the hills. As Anja observed this morning "We can see out to the whole countryside!" Yes dear, we certainly can.

Axel left for a weekend visit to see Stephen in Italy today. He is in the mountains in the north near to Regiom Emilia. Stephen warned him that it is snowing there and very cold (-11c) at night. Not what one would normally think of Italy, but I am sure it will be wonderful nonetheless. Its a well earned break for Axel after a long and busy harvest. He's still working many nights sorting,grading, and packing apples but not as much as earlier in the season. He works really hard but is really happy with what he is doing. I can't say enough how good that feels for all of us.

Lets see - what else is there to update. The girls are all getting along well in school. Dylan is working lots of hours in addition to school, so we don't see much of her around the house these days. I know its just the beginning of her road towards independence (even if she thinks she is already there...) but it has been a big adjustment for me. Its harder than I anticipated to let my baby go and start making her own way in the world. Much harder. Kiah has applied to The Brit School and is nervously awaiting word of whether or not she gets to the audition stage of application. I am very hopeful for her, but also know it is very competitive. I know she will be able to handle it with grace if she doesn't get in, but I still worry for how disappointed she will be if it goes that way. Any positive vibes, prayers and all that which you might send her way would be appreciated I am sure. Anja is loving school as usual. She is doing really well with reading and writing. Much like her mama, she doesn't love math but she does well with it. She would be happy as a clam if all she had to do all day was read books and write poems and stories.

I guess that is about it for now. I am going to try and get to update here at least once a week if not more, so be sure to check back soon.

A Perfect Autum Day

anja-forest-way
Originally uploaded by BeneathOurFeet

Saturday was our annual Village Bike Ride. Anja, not one to be deterred by a bike that is desperately small (soon to be replaced I promise!) was bursting and ready to get out and ride. And I, not one to be deterred (or use my brain) by having been sick with a fever all week agreed. I don't have a bike as of Wednesday when Stephen took it to Italy along with our favorite chair and a few paintings. ( so what if they were his...I loved them!) So it was walking for me for the first part of the day. I had thought I could get away with just walking to the farm but Anja was having no part of my plan. No surprise there! Luckily my friend Anna was in London for the day so I was able to borrow hers for the afternoon ride.

We wasted no time after I acquired my wheels - first delivering pizza (firmly affixed to the bike rack with my cardigan tied around it) to Axel and Kiah back at the farm. To the school, the village center, up up up the hill to the Cricket Club pavilion, back into the old roads to the Brambletye Ruin nearly to the new orchard, up to the top of the village and the new crossing at the main road (hooray for the new crossing!) and back down to wind up at the Village Green. The local MP was there to here our concerns regarding bike safety improvements needed in the village. A village councilor also talked about plans and status of efforts to make available and encourage more goods and services locally so we can minimize use of cars as much as possible. The village does pretty well overall, and we could absolutely survive with minimal need to ever drive for most things. Our family drives less than many, but still too much. But we are making improvements every day.

Take some time to click on the picture and see the other pictures from our day. It was one of those days that reminds me what a wonderful magical place we live in.

When we were in Spain I was struck by the intensity and depth of the colors. So rich and captivating.

I have added more pictures to the flickr. Most of them are of Spain but there are a few that are not. Kiah gave a fabulous vocal performance at school which rumor has it a certain German may or may not have been moved to shed a tear. (ahem). Anja turned 6. Her second birthday in England.

Enjoy!

Ch-ch-ch-changes!

The spain thing didn't pan out to be what we want. It was pretty clear immediately that this was the case, which I am thankful for. It was clear what was the best choice. Its not often that things line up so clearly, but when they do it is worth a nod. Even when it isn't how you would have written it if you could script your life.

We moved house 2 days after our return from Spain. There are pictures in the flickr over there on the left. I am working on getting more pictures uploaded. Its past time for a decent photo update.

Dylan finishes her GCSE's this week. Today actually. For our friends back home who are not familiar with this, it is the end of compulsory education here. After you do your GCSEs, you can go into trade school, the workforce, or 6th form. 6th form is sorta like community college for the last 2 years of high school. The certificates you earn are qualifications in their own right as well as used as entrance requirements to University. Dylan is going on to 6th form at Haywards Heath College. Her plans are to study psychology, art, and double-english. She will also be retaking maths, not because she didn't pass, but because in the transition to the system here they placed her in a lower maths mistakenly. By the time they realized it, it was too late for her to change course so she needs to retake it at college for a higher level. I know she isn't thrilled about it, but I know it will be good for her. Next weekend, she is headed off to prom. My baby girl at prom. On a river cruise boat (which she reports that said boat is "complete shit") on the Thames in London. Complete shit or not, that sounds like a recipe for a maximum memory material (henceforth referred to as MMM) .

Kiah turns 15 on Monday. My solstice season child continues to shine. If all goes as planned, this weekend she is going ice skating with some friends. They have had several attempts to work out schedules to go on this expedition (it is a bit of a train ride to the rink). It would be prefect timing if she was able to go on her birthday weekend. I have a picture of Kiah in New Mexico the year before Anja was born. I can see the young woman she has become in her eyes.

Axel's program at Emerson is also coming to a close in following weeks. This week classes end, next week is closing projects, St. Johns Day festival, and recognition. There is something to be said about how this all has unfolded, and it isn't easy to find the right words. We'll have to see what I can come up with. This weekend is the Sculpture programs final presentations. A friend is presenting her project so we will be going to that. Last year there were a couple projects in particular that suprised me and touched me profoundly. I am sure there will be at least a spark or two to be found this year.

And because when I am busy I do the thing that makes the most sense - I waste time! Todays time waste has taken me to find this inspired work. Bansky at the Sacred Space at Glastonbury. Medium of choice "repurposed portable toilets. Bravo.

Got our eye on a piece of land

Axel has found a wonderful piece of land in Spain that we are very excited about. The more I learn about the area, the property, and start dreaming of possibility (and loads of hard work!) I feel more and more like this may be the one. If it isn't the one we ultimately purchase, it will certainly go down as the one that really started us looking and dreaming and hoping.....

and believing.

Casa Urbano

Fast Forward To Now

Its been said before. It is true. We have sucked at keeping this blog updated.

Life just started being life, and we have just been living life. Every so often something strikes me as blogworthy (but not bothering to write because I am doubtful anyone is still reading...) , but for the most part days are just normal days. Like anyone elses days. This has become our home, this life is our life. The grand adventure, it turns out is life itself. Who would have guessed?

2 years ago we were getting ready to move to a new country, where we would live for 3 years while Axel studied Biodynamic Agriculture. Beyond those 3 years we had no firm plans. That would be decided when those 3 years were done.

And then fast forward to Today.... 2 years later. 1 year left in the "definate" phase our plan.

Definate. Plan. or.... ???
The BD program is ending a year early. The very short version of a very long story is that Emerson college is not able to offer the program or degree that we believed they would. Axel's schooling at Emerson will be done at the end of this acedemic year. The only piece of paper which he will take with him to show of his efforts is a letter of apology from Emerson Administration, with regrets and a waiver of a portion of the course fees. Which means that our 3 year plan just got whacked down to 2 years. And we have all of a few short months notice to sort it all out. To make things extra fun, our landlord informed us - right about the same time that we were watching the program crumble - that she would be moving into the house we rent from her, beginning a few short weeks from the end of the program. Nice touch, don't you think?

And that is where we are at now. We have a few short term plans. Keeping Kiah in school here until the end of her GCSEs next year is a priority. We are looking at property in Spain to buy as soon as possible with the idea to begin cultivating and building so that it is ready for us to move onto in the next year or so. I admit to being a little bit nervous and a big bit excited about how things are unfolding. I guess I have as much real idea of what is coming as I ever do (none, what-so-ever!) but I think we all are a bit more aware of our not knowing. It really is exhilerating!

In the run up to reviving this dormant blog

Ok - we suck at blogging. Really we do. Yet we don't give up easily either, so we will persist in making another attempt at getting this thing going again.

To catch up on a bit of what has been filling our days since we last posted, you can begin with our photos from the holiday we took last summer. 3 weeks from England to Italy and back again in our small car, primarily camping with the occasional night in a hostel or with family and friends.

Take a peek here to see a few highlights.

You can also keep up with Katie at her blog Divinely Crafty.