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books!

At last the Cooroy library is open for business! It's a beautiful space and my other mum friends and I are already regulars. Love the squishy seats just the right height for "cruisers" like my little guy and his mates.

Sunny day, keepin' the clouds away...

I try not to spend a lot on the little guy's clothes but I just couldn't resist these pants made by a local woman. I figured that I have a limited time when I can dress him in what I want and he's not requesting Ben 10 pants or whatever's popular. I'm hoping someone will give me the Sesame Street Old School DVDs now...

and then I saw this little guy...

On the lemon tree

I didn't even see this guy at first - very convincingly disguised as a leaf. Can you spot him?

Snowy

I was just told by my parents that Snowy died. He had quite a long and interesting life - born in Taiwan 15 years ago and then moving to Southern California, Seattle, Japan and then back to Southern California for 2 years of "retirement" with my parents who, to their complete surprise, became really fond of him. He was my companion through my early adult life and it was pretty much just the two of us until I met BJ 7 years ago. I guess it's easier that he was so far away, but I had hoped to see him one more time. I wish Finn could have met him.I'll miss him.

the VanBag

For BJ's birthday I made a lunch bag with fabric printed with magazine clippings featuring his absolute favorite musician, Van Morrison. I used Amy Karol's awesome bag instructions from her Bend the Rules with Fabric book. I have her Bend the Rules Sewing book, but have resisted buying the second one until I actually complete a few more craft projects and the number of craft books I own doesn't exceed the number of projects I've actually finished. Fortunately you can find the instructions here. Thanks Amy and Etsy for saving me from myself!

Easter in Autumn

He is risen!
Enjoying BJ's two weeks off from work and time with friends and family. Lots of walks, cooking and probably too much time spent enjoying our new TV...

The Great Pumpkin

Pumpkins have spontaneously sprouted in our compost pile - this may be the extent of our gardening this year....

raindrops keep fallin'

We took an early evening walk during a rare break in the recent rain. Della visited with a horse and there was even a barely there rainbow. We hadn't quite made it home when the rain started again.

Now back to trying to get the green mold off my dining room chairs. I've ordered some of this. We'll see...

shine on

Actually still working on passport application. First photos rejected because "forehead too shiny". New photos taken this morning unfortunately include red bump on forehead due to small fall off bed.....

Aussie Aussie Aussie

Just applied for an Australian passport for the little guy. It's a bit of a strange feeling actually. Australia and the US have very similar cultures of course, but my son will have a different nationality than me, a different accent. He'll watch "footy" and cricket and eat vegemite sandwiches and think that mum and dad talk a little funny. As long as he enjoys celebrating Thanksgiving and and listening to TAL....

comin' down on a sunny day

Some much needed rain falling on my Meyer lemon tree. It wasn't doing too well until I read somewhere that urine is an excellent fertilizer for lemon trees. I got the husband onto that - much easier for him than me- and things have been looking up! When those three little guys ripen I may have to try making some of this with them (thanks for the inspiration A.C.)

Here I am

Starting a blog is something I've wanted to do for a while. As an American who has recently moved from Japan to Australia, had a baby and become a full-time mom (or mum as I've started saying) my life has gone through some BIG changes. I find myself inspired to try new things and I hope to use this blog to document them, to introduce this beautiful part of the world I live in and to remind myself of the many blessings in my life everyday. By documenting them here, I hope to notice and appreciate them more. A blogger/mama I admire very much expressed that urge very eloquently here.

The name of my blog: "inaka" means "countryside" in Japanese and Japan was my home for 8 years before coming to Australia where this girl from suburban southern California is living for the first time in the "inaka" of the Sunshine Coast hinterland in Australia. The "mama" because, well I am one now and wow, it's a whole new wonderful, amazing world.