Drove down to Edinburgh for the Cruelty-Free Christmas Fair yesterday. A really good day. It was held in the Freemasons Hall which was a fascinating and impressive building in itself. We were “helping” Catriona with her vegan cookery demonstrations which meant we saw a bit more of the building down underneath, the kitchens etc. Charlotte was delighted at getting to make chocolate mousse in front of an audience and at getting to chop veggies in the large industrial style kitchen.
Both children got a lot out of the day – I really enjoyed seeing how much more confident Daniel especially, has become, going round stalls himself, buying things and speaking to people. The International Otter Survival Fund was a favourite stall with the children and they collected lots of literature there – can feel a little otter project coming on The man from Friendships.co.uk was very impressed that we were home-educating and told me a wonderful quote from Lenin about schools preventing education (can’t find it anywhere online though) and we also talked about how good schools are at ruining interesting subjects. Yes, a radical day!
Catriona was telling me how I had talked about home educating in the past as something I thought I couldn’t manage to do. Interesting hearing that – I do remember feeling that way and talked to another lady there who obviously feels a bit the same just now. Also discussed how my life seems to have been gearing up to do this for a long time… going all philosophical… obviously all I did all day was talk and eat! No… did some festive gift shopping in a farmers street market – nestling among the stalls selling ostrich, wild boar, Aberdeen Angus and venision burgers we found Caurnie soaps!
Charlotte layering up the mousse, us all getting ready and mother demonstrating the skill of breaking chocolate (what can I say? Years of practice…). Love the way you can see the castle from the shops in Edinburgh – looks lovely all lit up in the dark.
The Artists Way: A Course in Discovering and Recovering Your Creative Self - an intensely powerful and synchronistic way of clearing blocks, old psychological patterns and dysfunctions of the past. Get doing your morning pages, they're amazing!
fabulous guide to foraging in Britain.
amazing Russian books these: spirituality; growing; living naturally; raising children with love and respect; quite magical. Release any preconceived ideas of how life should be (or books) and create your space of love!
A very well researched novel which, alongside Picoult's usual 'heading to a trial' plot, explores many facets of and perspectives on Asperger's Syndrome. The potential and common effects of AS on siblings is especially well documented here. As gripping and informative a book as 
a great storehouse of food growing knowledge from Dirty Nails :)
"Girls just wanna have... wanna have fun...", and we still are :)
