Miso Soup

Last night, a friend said I must try miso soup.  I have some miso paste for Japanese-style dishes, but I've never had miso soup.  He handed over 2 packets of the miso, and 2 packets of the ... you know, the other stuff you put in it.  He did tell me what the flavours were, but I neglected to take notes - and it's been a long time since I read any Japanese so I'm not so sure.  (The yellow one is K6 if there are any people in the know reading this).

I thought (due to its salty factor) this would be a good post-run snack.  I think I'm right.  Liquid, quick, and salty.  I still followed it with chicken and kale, but it was a great starter.  And I can't wait to try the other flavour.  Whatever it may be.

Today's photo:

This was almost a New Thing.  Well, it is a New Thing... Today, I ate my first home-grown tomato.  It was so good!  So good, in fact, that you get a bonus photo.  I ate it with fried haloumi; a (delivered) organic tomato; 3 wrinkly but finally red cherry tomatoes (also from the garden); and basil, chives and parsley from the garden.  The large tomato is a Black Russian, so even though it looks a bit green still, it was quite ripe.

It was a good lunch.

The Asylum Seeker Welcome Pack

On Sunday, I picked up a copy of the church community newsletter (this in itself is a New Thing).  In part of my effort to avoid overheating, I read it cover to cover on the sofa.  I found an article/advertisement about welcome packs for asylum seekers and thought it was something I could do quite easily.  The group (Multicultural Development Association) recommended putting together a toiletries pack, including items like soap, toothbrush and toothpaste, combs, toilet paper, dishwashing detergent, washing powder, tissues, shaving cream and razor.  I'd actually found some of these items (as well as some similar items, like body lotions) in my recent clean up of various parts of my house, and it was quite easy to start putting together some of the other items.  The ad also has suggestions of other items you could include, like a Go-card, Coles card, t-shirts etc.  I haven't got all suggested items yet, or many optional extras, but I'm on my way.  Next step is to contact the lady mentioned. 

Today's photos:

Yes, today there are two - I just couldn't choose.  Both my tomato plants have little tomatoes growing, and with the sunlight, yesterday's rain, and windy conditions, I like the result of both photographs.

The top is a Black Russian, the bottom one is a mystery - some sort of cherry tomato, anyway.

Outfit #68 - Flash Test Dummy

Outfit details:

Skirt: Spicy Sugar; and Shirt: Miss Shop, both from Jeannie.  Vest: Portmans.  Shoes: Target.  Earrings: from Mombasa.

On Sunday, I tested some outfits.  I realised I have many Quite Short Skirts (and dresses).  My guidelines for length of skirt are if I feel comfortable (not too exposed); if my mother would comment; and if it passes the Flash Test.  Helping the grade 3s involves so much kneeling down, if an outfit involves any flashing while kneeling, it's a No Go for a Wednesday.  Surprisingly, several outfits did not pass this test for this week.  This skirt, however, is a winner.  It has more of a split at the back than I realised though...

I did actually take more photos of the outfit with the vest, but none of them (I see, now that I am back in comfy clothes), is at all flattering.  So you're stuck with one minus vest - with the added bonus of, if you peer really closely, skirt details.  They're buttons, in case you're wondering.  I actually checked the label on the shoes today, previously mentioned as Hot Options.  Sorry about that.

Same earrings as last Thursday...

Today's photo:

I must have walked past this plant dozens of times, but today was the first I noticed - a cherry tomato plant behind the fence next to the station!  They're nice and red, too, unlike my green offerings.  So far.  Not the greatest photo - more for the fact of tomatoes by the railway rather than artistic merit.

Gardening, Part 3

Yes, I did more gardening today.  It made me feel better.

I planted mixed lettuce seeds (I don't really like lettuce, so I'm hoping the 'I grew this myself' factor improves my appreciation).  I also planted spinach seeds.  After buying the seeds a few weeks ago, I then read they need to have cool sowing conditions.  I thought I'd have to wait until next year.  However, it's not warm enough to plant the rosemary yet, and we're still having winter temperatures (mainly), so I took a gamble.  More seeds and plants to come!

I also staked my tomato plant.  This is the first time I've taken so much care about a tomato plant.  The plants themselves seem to just appear, produce flowers and occasionally green tomatoes...  I thought keeping them up, off the ground, in the sun more, might improve the chances of producing and maintaining growth.  I'd had some thoughts about what to use for a stake - I really didn't want to go to a store to buy one, that seems ridiculous.  After a few trials, I realised there was a perfect supply in the garage.  A previous gardening experience, still waiting to be removed... I'll leave it there, but  I took one of the branches, chopped off the little twigs and chopped it to about a metre (although I'm really bad at estimating distance and length, so it could be a whole lot more...).

I also took a photo of the back of the lettuce and spinach seed packets so I can remember instructions and keep track of how many days til germination and things.  I don't think I've ever been that organised.  And I watered everything with fertilizer.

Today's photo:

From the garden, of course.  I found a tomato today!  First for this actual plant, and on a bit of plant that looks rather dead.  Maybe it is...

Outfit #64 - Early Mark

Outfit details:

Skirt: Sinerji (swap).  Blue top: Hot Options.  Black top: Ambra organic cotton.  Stockings: Ambra.  Shoes: Hot Options.  Earrings: gift.

Today had to be one of those multi-tasking outfits.  Warm enough for getting to school.  Cool enough for getting home around lunchtime.  Modest enough for dealing with grade 3.  Layers are wonderful.  I actually wore another black, long-sleeved top of the same brand, my blue scarf, and a cardigan as well to get to school.

Despite feeling a bit drugged when I woke up (late night), I was still ready early enough to take photos before school.  And then, 3 of my kids were away so I got to have a super early mark.  Not the greatest photo of the earrings - they're little silver roses, quite sweet.

Yes, these are the same shoes as yesterday.  One foot is feeling a little precious so I'm playing it safe in flats.

And due to tonight's commitments, this is such an early post!

Today's photo:

Rather uninspired, but I still have little yellow flowers on my tomato plant.

The Campaign

Last week, Queensland's premier, Campbell Newman, cut two state-funded school music programmes, Fanfare and MOST.  The reason given was financial.  I'm not disputing the need for a balanced budget, but taking away benefits from children, who are unable to vote, is not on my Good Things To Do list.  When I wrote about the movie Hugo earlier there was mention of the importance of these programmes:  without dreams, we have no vision; without vision, we have no future.

I know I am biased when it comes to music, but there is so much evidence supporting its benefits in brain development.  And we keep those benefits throughout life.  Without presenting a scientific paper on it (that's not what this post is about, after all), my top reason why music should be important in education is that the corpus callosum (the bit that connects the 2 hemispheres of the brain) is larger in musicians compared to non-musicians.  And all that left-brain/right-brain connectivity leads to better students overall. 

Every student I have had participate in Fanfare has really enjoyed it.  They have a common goal as an ensemble, their performance skills improve, their musical skills improve, and they really have fun.  MOST students get such a buzz out of being involved.  It doesn't matter where you are from in Queensland, if your school has music, you can be a part of it.  Inclusion is important.

I discovered during the week that not everyone knows about the Save Fanfare and MOST campaign.  Even my grade 12 students were keen to do something, even though they've had this benefit throughout their schooling.  Today, then, I sent an email to the parents of students (and to the adult students I teach) with information about what they can do:  a link to the e-petition; and the premier's email address for those who wanted to write to him.  Hopefully the upcoming Fanfare concert will not be the last.

Today's photo:

I am amazed by tomato plants.  I sowed some seeds ages ago, didn't see anything for a very long time, and then suddenly, that green thing turned out to smell like fresh tomatoes.  Unfortunately, that was eventually investigated a little too thoroughly by the dog, and was then part of an unexpected cull.  After I had to farewell my favourite gardenia plant, I then noticed familiar leaves growing... and I have another tomato plant.  Yippee!  During the week I spotted those sweet yellow flowers, and this morning I took advantage of what sunlight I could as it was glinting off those hairy stalks.

Dealing with Five

You know that weird person who stands at the tomato section of the supermarket, counting the tomatoes in the packet?  Well, that's me.  I like the number 6 for lunches - 6 small tomatoes, 6 snow peas.  I don't go so far as to count baby spinach leaves, or the number of cuts in the avocado, or the number of pieces of meat (if it's a meat day).

At the start of the school year, I tried the 'Romatherapy' variety (like mini Roma tomatoes).  The first couple of weeks, each packet had 12 tomatoes - perfect.  Six for each day.  Not knowing if this was a coincidence, I started counting the number of tomatoes in each packet before I put one in my basket.  And a good thing, too - the third (and every subsequent) week, I had to try a few packets of 13 before I found a 12.  Today, I thought I'd picked one with 12.  Obviously, I can't count.  Making tomorrow's lunch this evening, I found I had 15.  Agh!

I honestly felt a dilemma, and more than a moment of indecision.  Should I still use 6 tomatoes but have 3 leftover for Thursday - which would then require a meal with only 3 tomatoes?  That didn't seem right, so I settled for 5.  This feels wrong.  Only 5 tomatoes means only 5 snow peas, too.  No way I could have 5 of one and 6 of the other. 

I'm sure I won't really notice this tomorrow, especially as I will be teaching from 7:30 am - 5 pm without any breaks, so meal time will be during student time as well.  Fingers crossed I don't stress out over only having 5 tomatoes.  Yes.  I'm weird.