Discovering Adeline Yen Mah and holidays

Needed something to read so picked up Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah - what an amazing story. She had such a WICKED stepmother! Almost impossible to believe someone could be so mean - and her own father didn't care! Adeline's real mother died as a result of childbirth complications when she was 2 weeks old and the little girl was blamed - all her life! Where was the childhood protection agencies? Anyway, fascinating (and very fast) read. Would like to find Falling Leaves which is apparently more for older readers so I might not read that one so quickly.
Well, school holidays have just begun - 2 weeks of no school. Bliss. Actually I don't hate school that much but after 20 years at the same place, I'm a little over it. But it is so close - 10minutes walk away, 2 minutes drive, so I stay...
Pleased to say I will have 3 classes using blogs next term. Have set up 21 classes for the juniors and Year 10's are using edublogs. Just starting off small and private. Once students get into the swing, and get okay from parents, will go public and hopefully attract a wider audience. Have used epals before and know that students are thrilled to communicate with far away audience.
My friend and muse from school is at the NECC conference in Texas so I'm following her trip with interest. she'll come back knowing so much and will work hard to get us all on board using technology in the classroom. Well, I'm trying.
Will be visiting the cottage of Captain James Cook tomorrow - it was brought over from Yorkshire, England, and rebuilt in the Fitzroy Gardens, Melbourne. I first saw it when I was a little girl (many a long year ago) and it fired up my imagination. Will be taking the grandchildren (aged 9 and 5) so hopefully they will be similarly inspired.

My jumbled thoughts in a cloud (wordle)

Captain Cook and his childhood home

Day 06 - Captain Cooks Cottage
Originally uploaded by mister.crowley

I'm very entranced with all things Captain Cook at the moment. It all started with watching an ABC mockumentary on Cook presented by Vanessa Collingridge. Then I read the book on which the program is based. I then read a wonderful book by Marele Day (yes I hadn't heard of her either) called Mrs Cook - The real and Imagined Life of the Captain's Wife. On Sunday we're taking the 2 grandchildren and my dynamic mother who turns 86 this year - who must take credit for my new Cook passion -to the Fitzroy Gardens to see the cottage where James Cook was raised.
photo
by mister.crowley

Mother, son,cat and letterbox man

Today is the winter solistice - 21st June and the longest night in the year. From now on the days will start to get longer. I spent it in a cosy little town in the foothills of a great mountain. There was much celebrations and festivities going on. I had the care of my beautiful grandchildren for the day and we went into the main township and joined in the fun. My 9 year old grandson was exhibiting a letterbox he had created for a very novel competition. See the picture above. His friend traced his outline and he used a jigsaw to cut out the shape of his letterbox man.

Michael on double bass

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Useful tips for newbs

Look - now I have learnt to make a screen photo and post it in my blog:

Just fell across the Vicky Davies site - so useful to a beginner like me
vicki davies
so as you can see I finally learnt how to make a link. Who knows what else I might learn as I am meant to be writing my end of semester reports! thank you Vicky!