The Tooth Fairy

One of Lielle's top middle teeth fell out last week giving her that charming toothless grin appeal so typical of 7-8 year olds. This was her third lost tooth - the lower middle two both fell out within a week of each other last summer in Bulgaria. I remember how excited she was then about the tooth fairy and how thrilled she was to receive a small gift and a little note.

This time round she asked me straight up if there really is a tooth fairy, or if it's the parents. I could sense that she really wanted to know the truth, but that the truth might not be what she wanted to hear. It reminded me a lot of the Father Christmas dilemma in my own childhood. Suggesting that she put the tooth under her pillow, I kissed her goodnight and promised that we'd see what happened and talk about it in the morning. I knew that this would be the last time that she, and I, would be experiencing the magic of this particular aspect of childhood naivety.

I could hear her fiddling about for some time in her room before she finally settled off to sleep. When I crept in just before midnight I found a little handwritten note next to the tooth:

"Dear Fairy, Do you know a fairy called Julie? I believe in fairies. When you take my tooth you can take the little bag too as a present". Along with a 10-shekel coin I left a little note thanking her for the gift.

Lielle woke us up excitedly at 7 am, the coin and note in her hand, and with a cheeky grin and a knowing look in her eye she said: "Ima, this looks just like your handwriting!" So I smiled and admitted that maybe there is a fairy called Julie, and when she insisted, I showed her where I had hidden the tooth, the bag and her little note.

It was interesting to hear the excitement in her voice as she realized she was now a party to one of the secrets of the grown-up world, but at the same time just a hint of disappointment at the realization that that particular part of childhood innocence can never be brought back.

Amongst the challenges that face us during this coming year of homeschooling will be helping Lielle become more independent, more 'grown-up', while at the same time preserving the balance and giving her ample opportunity to enjoy a wonderful childhood. I think we're up for the challenge!

Just 6 Weeks To Go!

I can hardly believe that in just six weeks to the day we shall already be on our way. There is still a lot to get done but it's amazing how this trip has focussed us and what we have managed to achieve already. Dani is well on the way to closing down his business; repairing tools to be sold and getting stuck in with his mountain of paperwork which has always tended to get pushed aside. In the meantime I have had a mega sort-out of all our 'stuff'. I'm so glad that I started that process about six months in advance as it has enabled us to find appreciative homes for a lot of it. Having (between us) eight older children is a big advantage too as we are going to loan out some of our things to them for the year. This means that when we get back and need to start all over we shall have some of the basics such as furniture.

So, what's still on the 'to do' list?

• The personal things like photos, letters, etc. still need sorting so that they can be packed and stored. I'm wondering if I have enough time to make personal memory boxes for the kids and give them each their own things now that they're grown up? That could well take up the whole six weeks though, and I have to wonder whether they would treasure them as I have done all these years.
• There are also loads of files on my old computer (things I've written, photos taken, etc.) to go through before I give it away. Most is probably rubbish, but what if I deleted some gem by mistake? That looks like another big job.
• I need to get Lielle's British passport sorted out.
• Insurance: I seriously wonder if my current insurance policy is what I need and worth continuing with, plus we need to think about our travel health insurance. I could really use some guidance here.
• I want to say goodbye properly to some of my best friends - need to arrange that.
• I have decided to arrange a one-day 'Young Entrepreneurs' workshop for about a dozen girls on the first day of the school summer vacation just before we leave. This will also be a last opportunity for Lielle to spend time with her friends while hopefully making a little more pocket money for the trip. The idea of the workshop is to do arts and crafts, baking, etc. and then sell the produce at the end of the day after learning some of the basics of advertising and marketing. There will also be a second-hand stall where Lielle may be able to trade some of her last remaining toys and books that can't come with us.

Belt-tightening

Although our planned year away is very low budget there are still certain things that will need to be paid for: food and transport are probably the two main things. Over the past year or so we have surprised even ourselves at just how much we have been able to reduce our monthly outgoings in preparation for the trip. Here are some of the ways we managed to spend less (you'll notice that some of the 'decisions' we made were actually fate-induced), for instance:

When one of our cars was written off in a traffic accident we decided the time had come to make do with just the one we had left. And it wasn't so difficult. It did mean planning a bit more in advance so that we could each get maximum use of the car with minimum inconvenience to the other, but all in all the biggest difference we felt was the positive one of less petrol, insurance and repair bills. Several months later the other car suffered damage beyond reasonable repair, but this time good fortune stepped in and one of Dani's children who had upgraded their car agreed to loan us their old one until we leave. Although the ongoing expenses remained the same we are now thankfully relieved of the problem of selling the car at the last moment which is a big plus.

Similarly, a few months ago our second hand washing machine broke down and needed an expensive repair. My daughters who live nearby offered to help out and do our washing for us which is greatly appreciated. In order not to overload them we do some items by hand and are much more aware of only washing clothes that really need it. It's suprising just how much less washing we generate now than before. This has not only saved us having to buy a new machine, but has also caused us to adopt habits that will serve us well during our year away.

After becoming annoyed at the ever-growing cable TV/internet bills for less service we decided to cancel them. Not having the living room dominated by TV has been a big plus in itself, and the internet has been covered by using it during breaks at work, or picking up local wifi signal at home.

Other areas where we just decided to cut down (for varying reasons from "it's not that difficult to do", to "it's ultimately better not just for our bank balance but also for our health/the environment, etc") include: drinking only tap water (instead of bottled drinks) and cutting down on water usage in general by watering the garden with 'grey' water from the kitchen/shower and only flushing the toilet if there's something really offensive in there. None of us family members is offended by the others' urine, so when it's only us at home this saves a lot of pure drinking-quality water being used to simply transport this natural waste from one place to another. The water rates in general have recently been increased a lot and we have noticed a big difference in our water bills compared to our neighbors.

Some of these changes were achieved by a simple shift in mentality. Once you have set a goal in mind that you are passionate about, if that goal involves money to be saved or debts to pay off you actually psyche yourself up to get a thrill out of not buying something. Resisting the urge to buy something actually gives you a buzz as you realize it is in your power to bring that ultimate goal one step closer.

It also helps to look on the bright side and see the positive aspects in everything: cars and washing machines breaking down don't immediately strike people as being positive, but the way things worked out these things not only brought about a reduction in our expenses but also made us super-aware of just how kind, generous and helpful people can be.

From Another Angle

One of our daughter's projects as a new homeschooler is to document our year away by keeping a photo-journal. Although most will be handwritten she will also be putting up pictures and showing her side of the story on her own blog. She will be writing in Hebrew and I shall add an English translation.

Crazy ideas... Win-Win-Win

My mind is always ticking over.... The other day my thoughts wandered to the extent that I was wondering what I would do if I came unexpectedly into quite a bit of money (not that that's very likely to happen!). I surprised myself by thinking how bothersome this might be! I'm quite convinced that the whole beauty of our project is that it is without money changing hands. It has evolved like this because we never have had much money to start with so I just had to think of alternative ways of achieving what others may have thought only money could buy. This has been the whole beauty of the project so far, and that's how I envisage the whole thing running in the future.

But since the niggling question was already in my brain, I had to delve a bit deeper and come up with an answer, and I didn't have to delve too deep to find some inspiration. Whilst in Bulgaria recently serendipity granted me the opportunity to spend a few days with an amazing woman and watch how she puts some of her philosophies of life into action on a daily basis. She's not super-wealthy, but has a steady income which provides just a little more than she actually needs for her own modest lifestyle. I witnessed the smile of gratitude on the face of an elderly woman with whom we exchanged greetings as we passed her, sitting on a low stool outside the supermarket. That particular day was warm and pleasant, and she was there as usual with her various sized bottles of home-produced goat's milk, hoping to sell them all before going home. My new friend told me how a few months before, when the weather had been well below freezing for weeks on end, she would buy all the woman's milk enabling her to go home to somewhere warm. She didn't really need the milk so she gave it to the cats and dogs she found herself taking care of.

A similar encounter awaited us in the outdoor market. I stood by and watched her exchange a lively banter with a stall-holder there, letting herself be easily persuaded into buying much more fruit and vegetables than she could possibly use herself (the extras to be later shared modestly amongst her neighbors). As we left the stall-holder gave her a broad smile. "Did you notice her teeth?", my friend asked me as we walked away together from the market place. "I'm sure she would want to have the dental work she needs done if she could. But she has several children at home and works so hard just to feed them and give them a good education. I bet she happily puts their needs before her own." Regularly buying from this same woman each week, exchanging a few words and a smile, was her way of validating this woman and showing her how her selflessness, hard work and determination were appreciated.

So how did these random musings inspire me? If one day I should have a little spare cash, how would I like to see it used? You'll have to bear with me here if this sounds a bit rambling, but there are a few different thoughts here that all meld into one idea at the end...

I really like Win-Win situations. Even better are Win-Win-Win situations. As I've mentioned on previous posts, since we will be homeschooling our daughter while in the village we are interested in attracting other traveling/homeschooling families to spend time with us and to share their skills. We are also hoping to involve the local children in various activities, broadening their horizons and giving everyone a good opportunity for some cultural exchange. Over time we hope to build up a resource centre providing educational materials and workshops for ourselves, the local children and those who come to visit. One of the things that I feel really brings people together is music and I think that music workshops could be a really excellent way of bringing kids together.

Here in Israel I happen to know someone whose work I really admire. He also brings children together through music: Arab and Jewish children. Separately he teaches them through their respective schools to play the ukulele, and then they get together for rehearsals and performances where they play together, laugh together, have fun together and get to understand each other a little better.

How would it be, I thought to myself, if we could arrange some kind of funding to bring someone like this guy and say 4 of his most promising students to Voditsa to present a summer workshop? This could be an excellent way of rewarding and encouraging outstanding students. They could come to Voditsa for say a week, where maybe a dozen or so willing and eager local children could take part in an intensive introductory workshop. We are hoping to build up a collection of musical instruments. The ukuleles purchased or donated especially for an event like this could be loaned out to the local children to practice on... maybe it could become an annual event to be looked forward to year after year?

But the idea doesn't stop here... why not do something similar with sports activities? dance? yoga? arts and crafts? cookery? drama?

Do YOU know someone who is passionate about what they teach? Maybe they have students who could be rewarded by a trip like this for their achievements? How can we raise the funding? Would YOU like to be part of something like this?

Building Projects

To further our plan for turning our homestead in Bulgaria into a comfortable and cosy place for traveling families to stay we have several projects in mind that we shall be working on in the near future. Just how far we get with them and the order in which they are tackled will depend to some extent upon the various material, financial and human resources available to us.

Summer Kitchen: Faulty guttering and a few loose roof tiles combined to create some serious damage over the last year to one of the small outbuildings. We intend to completely dismantle the building and recreate it as a covered, partially enclosed summer kitchen. We are hoping to reuse most of the old materials (mud, bricks and roof tiles) and incorporate some decorative elements which will turn it into something functional and creative.

Compost Toilets: Definitely room for improvement here! We don't intend to get rid of the old outside toilet just yet, but we do hope to add some more aesthetic compost toilets, both inside and outside the house.

Hayloft-to-Den Conversion: We would like to clear out one of the haylofts and turn it into a cool space for older kids as a den or story-telling corner. For younger children we want to finish sorting out the ground-level playhouse in the garden.

Cowshed-to-Craft-Workshop Conversion: This is a bigger job and to do it the way we are thinking of will mean we shall need to acquire a few new skills first, such as working with natural mud and lime plaster. If we manage to make the place really cosy it could also double up to provide additional sleeping space when we have a lot of guests.

We shall be documenting our progress with these various projects and hope to be able to post some impressive 'before' and 'after' photos over the coming months!

Family Friendly Travellers' Rest

... that was the title of a message that I posted on the Family Welcome Group forum of Couchsurfing almost 14 months ago!

The post was quite long but here is a short extract from it:

"....So what is this dream? - I would like to create a space, in rural Bulgaria, where people traveling with children can stay and share their experiences and skills. It would be a cross between couchsurfing and volunteering. No money would change hands, but there would be an exchange of skills and resources. Children could feel at home enjoying the simple life in the village. Parents with skills such as arts and crafts, story-telling, music, dance, languages, drama, cooking, photography ... (the list is almost endless), could share them, enriching us at the same time. I envisage that local children from the village would also become involved, making for a lively and interactive cultural exchange. Maybe we could provide computer / internet services that would allow long-term family travelers to take some time out for making a digital scrapbook, or editting video clips along the way?

Right now these are ideas whizzing around in my head and giving me a great feeling of excitement. I would love to hear other families' feedback.... "

I got some great feedback which was all the incentive I needed to push the idea forward - and this blog is the result.

For a more detailed description of just what we can offer and what we hope to get in return you can check out our 'participate' page.

How We Built our First Cement Seating Sculptures

The first stage was to collect the materials that were to be incorporated into the basic structure. We collected old tires, discarded furniture, newspapers and lots of plastic bottles. We discovered that we needed more bottles than we had used ourselves so we actually had to raid the local recycling collection point for a few extras!

The next stage actually took several days. The materials that had been collected were gathered together more or less in the place where the structure was to be built and were looked at earnestly from all directions. This is also the stage where you need to think what the structure is all about: how you think you'd like it to look, whether it needs to be functional, etc. The importance of this stage shouldn't be underestimated - it was surprising how many times I changed my mind before arriving at the final result. You need to keep in mind that the one-off nature of using materials that just happen to be available means that the project is created more by evolution than by design. The good thing about this stage is that is can be done quite effectively while enjoying a cup of coffee or a nice cold beer!

Once the 'bones' of the structure has been decided upon by placing the larger items (tires, old chairs, etc) in the appropriate places, the gaps are filled and the various elements are brought together by the addition of scrunched up newspapers, building rubble, plastic containers, etc. These are all kept together by covering the entire structure with thin chicken wire. We found that the easiest way to attach this to the base was with a staple gun.

A few important points to consider: The inner part of tires and other empty spaces need to be filled otherwise the sculpture will soak up enormous (and expensive) quantities of concrete. Remember to put lids on plastic bottles so they retain their shape and don't get squashed under the weight of the concrete. Also don't forget to take into account that the concrete needs to be several centimeters thick and this will alter the dimensions of the finished product. This is particularly important to bear in mind if the sculpture is to perform a function such as being a comfortable place to sit.

The next part of the job, covering the structure with concrete, is pretty hard work - especially if you're mixing the concrete by hand. It's definitely a job for at least two people: one to keep the supply of concrete coming and the other to apply it. Having made three cement sculptures so far I have to admit that I am really looking forward to the opportunity to work with mud. Apart from the fact that it is much more ecologically sound, it is also much more forgiving. There is no need to work against the clock since it doesn't set as concrete does, and the work can be carried out over several days if necessary and not hours.

Over the next few weeks I hope to work on a short video tutorial showing how we made our most recent sculpture - in the meantime here are a few pictures of the finished projects.

Cement Seating Sculptures

One of the projects we hope to get started on as soon as possible after arriving in the village is to arrange an outdoor cooking and general chilling area. We already have a rough plan for a seating sculpture which is to incorporate the recycling of various unwanted items. Here in Israel there is no shortage of available materials to use, from old broken chairs to tires, building rubble, plastic containers, and more which pile up day by day in unofficial dumps around the country. In Voditsa this might be more of a problem - but a good problem in a way. There is very little wasted in the traditional rural villages. While eco-warriors around the world are challenging us all to 'Reduce, Reuse and Recycle', Bulgarian villagers have been living this way for centuries.

The idea for the seating sculptures came a couple of years ago when a friend invited me to join her on a trip to Kibbutz Lotan in the south of Israel. The kibbutz runs internationally renown permaculture courses and they do a lot of building and sculpting using a combination of natural and recycled materials. One of the advantages of their location is the weather - the barely 6 days a year of rainfall means that outdoor structures can be covered with mud without undue worry about weather damage. I came away from there there totally inspired and raring to go! My only problem was that where I live in the centre of the country rain would be a problem. I decided on a compromise: the basic structure would be made of recycled materials, but the covering would be cement.

I shall write more about the various stages in contructing the seating sculpture in my next post. In the meantime check out these amazing camel sculptures in Kibbutz Lotan. They are made with old car tires and mud!

Summer 2009 in Voditsa

Heading back to Voditsa in less than two months has brought a flood of memories back from last summer. Here are some of the highlights:

There were many 'unknowns' before we left Israel last summer. As it turned out the electricity was fine and just waiting to be switched on. The leaky tap we had been told about was the only real plumbing problem, and our wonderful neighbours Dancho and Stefan were a great help in getting that sorted within hours of our arrival. The weather was hot, but pleasantly so with occasional thunderstorms every couple of weeks.

Despite our intention to set up a compost toilet we managed the whole summer with just the original outside loo (with supplementary chamber pot in the bedroom)! Bathing was no problem either with a makeshift shower area outside using water warmed up by the sun during the day in plastic beer bottles.

Another project we thought we would manage but didn't even get started on was the outdoor living/cooking area. Hopefully that will get done this summer. What we did manage to do was to give most of the rooms a good clean and painted two of the bedrooms.

We did a lot of work in the garden and even managed to get some tomatoes and peppers going (though we had to leave just before they were ready for picking). The barn area and playhouse got tidied, and a couple of windows and doors got painted as well as the main entrance gate. Most of these jobs were achieved with the help of friends and family who came out to visit us: Bartek and Gosia (Poland), Ahava and Ravit (Israel), Nasta (Greece), Carole, Tina and Nikki (UK), Yair (Israel) and Yak (Czech Republic). In addition to the physical help they contributed they also kept us well-fed, in good spirits and provided some wonderful musical interludes. Thank you all.

Bartek managed to get up into the loft. It looked very sound and dry - fortunately no unpleasant surprises there! On the other hand, a trip up to the roof above the kitchen showed fairly extensive rodent (?) damage. That's something we shall have to take care of next time as it's causing the kitchen ceiling to bow.

We learnt how to bottle preserves for the winter, and how sing a few Bulgarian folk songs. We enjoyed being around each other as a family and having time for each other, never hurrying anywhere or being under pressure to get things done to a deadline. We were also treated to a road trip which enabled us to visit Varna and Nessebur and other interesting places along the way, and we became good friends with the local children after organizing some art and craft activities. These were all precious experiences.

We didn't get a donkey (though I haven't yet given up on that one!), but we did buy two chickens and were given a small rabbit (which we should have named 'Houdini' as he managed to escape from every place we put him - and eventually ran away).

Project Bulgaria - Checking Out Some of Life's Alternatives

In just 8 weeks from today our lives are going to be changing drastically. We have decided to take a year out of our 'normal' lives to experience different alternatives: we shall be homeschooling our 7 year old daughter, getting back to basics in a village in Bulgaria, and generally getting as much hands-on learning experience as we can in alternative building, recycling, organic gardening, self-sustainability and more.

For approximately one year we hope to leave behind our routine of regular jobs (as a mechanic / teacher), and take time to discover what really is the essence of a good and healthy life. We are looking forward to living in a community where money and material possessions are not the main motivators, where the pace of life is governed by the seasons, and a good day's work (with liberal breaks for socializing and enjoying life's little pleasures) is the order of the day. We are looking forward too to having more time to get to really know ourselves, as individuals and as a family.

This plan has come about as a result of dreaming, believing and determination... and of course the guiding hand of fate that gave us a gentle push here and there in the right direction.

Before deciding to publish this to a blog I wrote down my own private thoughts explaining where this idea came from and how the whole plan developed from the original dream. These original articles explain quite a bit of the background and can be found here.