One week left...

So many little loose ends to take care of (but less than when we came over) before we leave NZ. It's a bittersweet feeling; wanting to return home, but sad to leave our sabbatical experience behind us.
Today I have a list of lasts:
last grocery shopping
last firewood run
last coffee with a good friend
last change of linen
last library visit
and a probably a few more...

going home twice

Sometimes it's hard to understand my dear husband. About a month ago Geoff realized he needed to use more of his grant $ and should attend a USENIX conference in Portland, OR.
So, here we are about 3-1/2 weeks away from returning home and he'll be flying from NZ to the US and back again. Maybe he likes to feel cosy and cramped at high altitudes for long extended periods of time, but I would have found a different conference (either here now or there later) that wouldn't have required quite so much jet-setting.

"Cello 4 Kids!" site

I've been tinkering with my website for teaching cello, Cello 4 Kids!, and think most of the bugs are worked out now ;~) I'm hoping to make it easy for my future cello students and families to find and share information when I get back to Claremont, CA. I'm also very excited about my new venture of starting younger beginning students (Suzuki style) and adding group classes; CELLO POWER!

Things I miss about "home"

(in no particular order)

• my house, cats, & garden
• U.S. family & friends
• Trader Joe's
• Mexican food
• cheap gas 
• the Claremont community 
• teaching music
• central heating