Countdown: 6 (and 5 too, actually)

YESTERDAY:

I woke up, made the oatmeal, rewrote a scene in my book, and headed out to buy some plants with the gardener. It was beautiful to walk around the jungly nurseries and see what there is out there.

The gardener kept me entertained. He told me all about how he had been working at a restaurant on our beach and a resort owner had approached him and offered him a bigger salary, including food when he is working, bonus and tips at the end of the season. He was very happy with his job. I felt glad for him. It's a good opportunity for a village man here.

We picked out some lovely trees and ground creepers. He will bring the rest: some palms, bourgainvillea, more hibiscus. Some magnolias.

Speaking of magnolias, this is the magnificent tree Chinua and I saw when we went to South Goa this week.

Came home, shot off to the tailor to pick up the clothes I had ordered. Some pants for the boys, some pants for Chinua. The YaYa sister's birthday dress. Except it turned out the tailors had lost the measurements I gave them for YaYa's birthday dress.

"What?"

"Sorry."

"I need that dress! The birthday is Monday!"

"We can finish. You get the measurements, again."

But that meant I would have to drive all the way home and back again. Not so far, but on a busy day... Nothing for it, I got on the scooter, only to find the girl herself, just a few shops away! Chinua and the kids happened to be just down the street, so I kidnapped the YaYa sister and brought her to the tailors to be measured. She wriggled in and out of the racks of clothes, playing hide and seek.

Came home and went through the kids' clothes. Passed along things that were too small, set ripped things aside for recycling or repair, and picked out what we will bring with us. Ditto with my clothes.

Shot some video of Solo doing pushups.

Drove Jaya back to her home at another beach. Ran to the ATM for money so I can settle accounts before we leave. Went out of my way to see the Baobab tree. Wow. It's huge. Not a common sight here, either.

I came home, had dinner with my family and a couple of other guys; Turbans guys who are making a video with Chinua. Woooooo. Bed.

TODAY.

Goodbye pancake breakfast day. I woke up late and wrote about two sentences before everyone else was out. Went to buy the yogurt and Nutella. Made coffee and pancakes. Sat with dear friends (Julie and Mike, Cate, M) while the kids scarfed down an amazing amount of pancakes.

We had our yearly taking stock circle, where we talk about the season: how it went, how it could go better. We came away from this year happy and tired and full of ideas for next year.

Um. Packed! (Surprise, surprise!) We got more school books. I had to order more for YaYa, since Kid A started the second grade with intermediate level reading books, but she is on an average level. (In READING. In everything else, she is in SPARKLING level.) So I ended up sorting through what we would bring and leave, again.

I did a couple loads of laundry. Watered the garden. Sorted through the kitchen stuff. Put sheets away.

Watched Solo giving Kid A a massage.

Speaking of massages, here's another tree Chinua and I saw. Notice the hanging fruit.

Wait, that's not fruit! Here's a close-up.

Wittle bats. Actually, big fruit bats. Hundreds and hundreds. (I guess that didn't actually have anything to do with massages. I would HOPE.)