indoor mushroom again

The least I could say is that we are going through humid times. That would be subjective. Therefore I will just let the mushroom that grew on our windowsill illustrate this time of the year. It grew like a mushroom, without us noticing it until it was this big. After taking the pic I carefully removed it, not so sure if the ocher powder it sprinkled around itself was safe to have in a house where not only mushroom live, but people too. I have been trying to act as if the rain did not affect the things we do, such as going out for walks with the girls and Tintin, with gumboots and rain coats of course, but was reminded that I do not like this constant feeling of being wet, when we ran out of dry underwear. This is where we were rescued by my friend and her tumble dryer, and I am very grateful for that. The girls made a thank you yogurt-almond-oats-and-chocolate cake and we all enjoyed having the oven on, not for the heat, but for a little added dryness.

As I write, rather late tonight, samba music is on our street as Ouro Preto warms up for Carnival, officially starting on my birthday this year. Yay!

About the rain

For those who were worried about the lack of rain this year, here is an update on Leila's camping ground - the neighbor's garden. It is still warm, though, and we actually spend more time outside than on sunny days. Walking in the rain is a good argument when I get desperate to take the girls outside, which often is a mission, given how much they enjoy playing and "working" indoors.

her train

She can do this for hours. Align them this way. And then one by one re-align them that way. And I could watch her do this for hours. And then this:

gone camping

Three days ago: We packed her toothbrush and pajamas, her torch light and her bear. She gave me a hug and a kiss, hopped and skipped her way to the neighbor's garden. Leila is gone camping with Michelle and the kids who live on the street. In the neighbor's garden. But still. It is Leila's first night out. I am so excited! Not at much as she was, if the width of one's smile and the amplitude of one's bouncing is proportional to one's level of excitement.

It started raining at 10 pm. The garden got soaked and so did one of the tents. And yet. She slept through the night, woke up just before sunrise, had marshmallows and popcorn for breakfast and came home with a smile that stretched from one ear to the other. Proud, happy with the fun that she had, and so grown up all of a sudden.

the beauty of it all

 Poetry (written on a painting that clung to the web inside my head ever since Elouan weaved it on our kitchen table last July, this poem by Shel Silverstein, who I discovered in the process of ordering books on Amazon), trees, walks in and around Ouro Preto, the story of Marianne North in Brazil and her botanical paintings, and embroidery, are among the things that have been blowing my hair back lately.

It is time for an account on the weather, isn't it? Given that last year at the same time of the year Ouro Preto ended up isolated from the rest of the world due to heavy rain falls, and the year before we spent three consecutive wet months from our arrival in October until Christmas, I expected, and announced that rain season was officially open. Well, as it happens, this year has seen very little rain fall and much higher temperatures than the previous two. I just hope that there will be enough water for who needs it. Around here it is very green, and the weather has made Christmas holidays very enjoyable, in particular since the girls now allow us to spend the day outside, so we are not sorry for ourselves. They say, the later it comes, the harder it comes. I'll just stick to the idea that the weather is unpredictable and keep carrying an umbrella.

Don't we live in (another) beautiful corner of the world?!

welcome 2013

I loved 2012. Welcome 2013! Best wishes for the new year to you my friends.

we are back from Ibitipoca

In Ibitipoca we found nature, friendship, swim, play, walk, talk, sing, a whole evening, a fireplace and all of the above to celebrate Christmas, relax and enjoy. It was a WOW of a holiday, the first we spent together as a family of four. We dreaded the drive which went quite smoothly in spite of the heat. Six hours for 280 km, many stops on the way, 40 something km of dirt road to escape the summer holiday buzz. We woke up to the sound of birds and monkeys, Leila silently left the chalet to play with her friend as soon as she fell out of bed, had breakfast and dived in the pool right away, freshened up in the river and caves. We love it there. 

On the way back, the girls found a playground at our first stop and a "pula-pula" at the second. It was as if we had done all the drive that day so that they could play there and then open their presents at home. Merci aux mamans-Noel de France!