So things have almost gone smoothly into "back to school" mode and we have a routine (of sorts) that has been lovingly scheduled by yours truly, in an attempt to lessen our amount of kid-ferrying time and increase the amount of house-renovation-yard-cleaning-freelance-work-general-cleanup time.  It helps that Tiss has shown an interest in taking the tram to and from school by himself (so what does the Australian mothering collective say?  Aged 9 too early to navigate crossing busy...

When we first moved to Latvia, I was totally enamoured by the drastic change of seasons, which I had never really experienced, having grown up in sub-tropical Brisvegas.  This means I was also totally besotted with chestnuts and acorns - still one of the best parts of autumn.  For the first few years, when Tiss was a wee tot, I would take him to our local park with a little plastic bucket and collect acorns.  Or more accurately, I would collect acorns, and try to make Tiss take an...

Just had to share a little pic that I stumbled across today... this fabulous portrait of a Latvian lovely from the early 20th century.  She's been carefully posed with something she's making for her dowry... with her singer sewing machine... in front of a lush field of fully-budding hemp.  Scrawled at the top is something along the lines of: "we are all longing to know when you will visit us".  What potential guest could resist her smouldering look, combined with handicraft skills...

Many of you probably know that Jem has just finished an awesome marathon: the 365 project.  An online project where you take a photo every single day for a whole year, and post daily on the web.  It was a great way for Jem to hone his photography skills, and now looking back at all the photos, I realize what a wonderful visual diary of a year it is.  You can see the seasons changing, and be reminded of people and places and celebrations.  Jem was very disciplined and resolved...

I've never been one for photographing stuff I own and blogging about it.  Not that I don't like reading about other people's stuff.  Nah, I love it - just not big on talkin' about MY stuff. But today I'm walking around the house loving a few "new acquisitions" and y'know what - it's my blog and I'll blog what I want to! So here goes. Latvia is in to wooden eco children's toys.  Lots of new small businesses making versions of rattles, push along cars, puzzles and the like.  I...