Sunday, November 29, 2009

Lewi's Kitchen


You can't dampen his enthusiasm. Tonight Lewis wanted to make a baked pasta dish with mozzarella and a tomato and aubergine sauce. He followed this with an orange cheesecake with ginger base, both equally delicious. He had a little supervision from CJ, but nearly all his own work - it's not bad for a ten year old...

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Turkish Delight


Lewis and Mummy have been planning a Turkish dinner for some days, and by George was it tasty. The best, according to Gregory, that he'd had in his whole life....

Roatsed peppers, feta chesse and spinach triangles, falafel, courgette and feta fritters, grilled aubergine baked with tomato, tabouleh, houmus and olives, of and pitta and tzatziki and salad. And all home made too.

Lewis was especially pleased with his houmus (complete with spices and a drizzle of olive oil)

We also have a selection of Turkish sweets for pud, which came from the vendor on Southampton market, and Turkish coffee (without the sugar)

Friday, November 27, 2009

Insight


I was just going to bed when I saw this message on the wall - it could only have been Lewis when he was taking a bath...

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Reading quietly


The more studious side of Gregory. Although he likes to act the clown, Greg is also very good at applying himself to a task, especially if it involves reading and facts. He can digest facts and serve them back up completely and accurately, and more often than not in the right context too.

It's just that we have to keep him focussed, or he's away with the fairies!!

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Swashbuckling


Grabbed this candid shot of Greg and two of this friends in school sword fighting... Of course you are not allowed to take photographs of children at school any longer - but bo*$@cks to all that - Taikiko is one of his best friends!

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

First Recording session....



I made the above movie earlier as I was trying to find a way of loading sound to the blog, unfortunately it was a bit time consuming to do. I think I have now cracked the best way to do this as the sound quality on the movie is poor after the MPEG compression. I'm still experimenting with how to host the music but below is an MP3 of Richard Cory which you really should listen to, just follow the link and press the start triangle... He's playing, singing and playing tambourine of this one!

Richard Cory performed by Lewis Brown (orig by Simon and Garfunkle)

Also below is an MP3 of Homeward bound recorded and edited in the evening using Audacity and exported to MP3 using LAME on my Portastudio (Apple MacBook Core2 Intel Duo) using the mac's internal mic and direct to two tracks....

Homeward Bound by Lewis Brown (orig by Simon and Garfunkle)

It would be good if you let me know which of these work best to audition.  Lewis was very excited when I told him that the youtube movie had had 16 views by 8pm today!

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Shining star


The music was so good tonight I wanted to give him a standing ovation, but I was eating my dinner and Lewi was in the Living Room - so the moment passed. Never the less he knows he's getting it right, you can just tell that he's enjoying himself, and the crowd is behind him.

We're taking bookings, if anyone needs a stand up act...

Saturday, November 21, 2009

The Entertainment


A regular Saturday night feature in the Brown clan household is our concert when Lewis entertains us. Scarborough Fair tonight also featured Caroline on canto.

It's been a very murky day here, on the whole, windy and wet.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Birthday Girl


Wet rather than snowy tonight, and four years on she's changed a fair bit too....

Happy Birthday Mipp Mopp!

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Hello is that Gran?


One of Miranda's favourite games at the moment is playing phones, which means mobile phones. She scurries off to find one opf my old ones in my workroom, and as soon as she comes back she's jabbering away. I must make a mosaic of the images as it makes for very amusing viewing - you can more or less guage what she's actually saying just by the expressions.


We don't call her Chopsy Topsy for nothing.

I'm listening to Lewis playing Richard Cory - he's on form tonight!

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Roman Assembly


Great fun this morning watching Greg (the Centurion, naturally) leading his legionairies onto the school stage for a Roman Assembly ..."Sinister, dexter, sinister, dexter,..."

He was very masterful!

'AD SIGNA’ = ‘To the Standards (ie flags)'= FALL IN ie prepare to march
'PROCEDITE' (Pro-keh-dee-tay) = QUICK MARCH (Sin.... dex etc)
'CONSISTITE’ (Kon-sis-tee-tay) = HALT

They are having a school trip to Fishbourne Palace near Chicester, which was only discovered accidentally in 1960 by excavations for a water main.

I also took a few pictures of impromptu sword fighting with his friends which I may post another day, watch this space...

I'm listening to Uri Caine - The Goldberg Variations

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Roaming

























Greg very excited about his Roman Assembly tomorrow. He has to order his centurions around by all accounts. He spent the whole of story time asking me if I could answer questions about Roman life and customs. When he realised he was making little progress, he decided to make it easy for me by asking me TRUE or FALSE questions...

Monday, November 16, 2009

My little Pony.


Lewis playing with his farm, probably not the best view of it or showing it's finest detail, but nevertheless an insight into his 'private life'.

He's made all sorts of things to make it realistic, hinges on door, buckles on horse bridles, hay bags made from woven string, all manner of tools.

Reminds me that I need to focus more on little details...

Sunday, November 15, 2009


I take lots of pictures in this position. It's me sitting at the dining table with Mippy at my LHS, the light from behind me is nearly always good - and I have a captive audience. What is remarkable, given all the fixed factors, is that I never get two pictures that are the same.

So the next time someone rambles on about the infinite reproducibility of the photograph, tell them from me, that they are all unique...

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Strum along a Max
























It's been blowing a gale here for the last few days. Yesterday was very wet and windy, but today it's been a lot stronger. It didn't stop us from going for our bike ride this morning but as we got out of the trees and into the open heathland, it dawned on us that the going was rather more challenging than enjoyable. Lewis was blown off his bike (not the first time this has happened) and I wasn't altogether disappointed to make it a shorter than usual ride. On the way back although the rain was hammering down, Lewis had to agree it was one of the most fun rides we'd had - but this was mainly because we now had the wind behind us and it was like sailing downwind    f   a   s   t  .  .  .!

Miffi rang this evening as she'd heard that winds were over 100mph off the Isle of Wight, but pleased to report all still standing tall....

This evening we had our weekly concert, wghich is starting to take a regular shape. Lewis entertains us with some tunes, many with vocals to boot. Tonight the 'Sound of Silence' and 'Scarborough Fair' by Simon and Garfunkle', 'Astrakan Cafe' by Anhour Brahem, and 'Jolly Sailor' to name a few. He's got a great voice and is starting to enjoy the singing bit very much.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Insects (again)


So the school is having another 'inset' day, and we thought we'd have a day in Poole at the newly refurbished Museum. They done a fantastic job with the building and there was loads to see relating to the local area, including lots about pottery and the clay businesses in the area, Poole Pottery, (Jesse) Carter and Co and the Patent Architectural Pottery in Hamworthy. Also it displays the Poole logboat, a dugout log boat that was discovered 43 years ago in the mud off Brownsea Island, and restored using 6 tonnes of sugar! A good exhibition of paintings by Augustus John and Henry Lamb and other Bloomsbury artists

We finished the day off with a nice Turkish meal at a restaurant ion the High Street, tasty Meze with Baklava and Turkish coffee. The Christmas lights were better in Poole than in Bournemouth.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Splosh it about


Miranda has been busy with the paints - peace and happiness to you all!

It looks from this as if she's used her mince pie and maybe a potato smiley face  from dinner, which would surprise me, but I don't think she did...

I'm listening to Lou Rawls - You'll never find, another love like mine.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Just for you...


Daddy I made this bit myself... she says, pointing to the top. So we eat a few after our lunch and then head outside for a bike ride to see the animals.

The weather was nice and sunny, but rather chilly.

I'm listening to Uri Caine Bedrock { Plastic Temptation

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Step right up


Lewis had some Literacy homework to do this morning, and I could see him beavering away - when I peeked a look he'd been writing 'a day in the life of a stud trainer'...

There's barely a place we go to now where he doesn't comment on the horses - he sees them everywhere, and of course they all have distinguishing features.

Sunday, November 08, 2009

Porky


When you capture the playfulness seen here you wonder how you could ever smack her bottom, but I can and I do (from time to time)

She drives me crazy, and I can't help myself

Good name for a song I think....

Friday, November 06, 2009

Very SX-70

























Just been listening to Shawn Colvin, from the new LIVE album on Nonesuch - Polaroids

Thursday, November 05, 2009

Intant memories...

























All the charm of a Photo - Me booth sitting, and all at the touch of a button.

It's Polaroid week. Yes I know Polaroid don't really exist any longer, but the spirit lives on...


Seen some great bird photos today by Massimo Cristaldi - check them out

Tuesday, November 03, 2009

Hundreds and Thousands


Miranda was very pleased with her cake icing when I came out for my lunch today. "Look Dad, I've been busy. You can have three if you like, and we can play cars together"

I managed to tuck two away after my lunch, and tasty they were too. Good job I stoked up as there was an accident on the motorway coming home from my meeting this afternoon, so I didn't get in till 8.45pm

Monday, November 02, 2009

Atmosphere


I'm pleased to be loading this picture, as it means I've been able to download some pictures from my camera. I thought it had given up the ghost, as all the electronic display and functionality had expired, and wouldn't even power up to enable me to access the main menu.

As one last ditch attempt I tried downloading the latest firmware and to my surprise this appears to have solved the problem - lets hope so!

The pumpkins are from Saturday night's carving session, and subsequent supper. Greg's is on the left, Lewis' on the right....

I'm listening to 'La Memoire du Silence' by Erik Truffaz - from the CD called Mantis

Sunday, November 01, 2009

End of the Season


This is one of Greg's sketches - it's a picture of a sailing boat that he did for me a few weeks ago. He's standing next to me and is supposed to be writing today's post, but has decided that it's easier to draw pictures than do the writing bit!