Sanitised potatoes.

Don't you love that overseas travel opens you up to new experiences??? This was in Bali, when all of us except Jack cuddled the snake at Tanah Lot. Hilarious video, especially Connor's face as the snake writhed around.

My Bali video has worked its magic again...

A couple of months ago, my friend Sandy came over on a Friday night after I'd dropped the boys off at their Dad's place. Well into the second bottle of champagne, after viewing the video, we hatched a plan to go to Bali in 2008...two families NOT joined at the hip, but meeting up for dinner, doing Waterbom Park together, etc. And now my sister and her girls are desperate to go to Bali next year after seeing the video. We all watched it again yesterday, and now the boys and I are all fired up for the next trip. (Finally! I was starting to think I'd never get excited about Phuket!)

It was funny, talking to my sister and showing her the vegie garden... SO not her bag! When she got here I was washing out some ziplock bags that the kids use for their lunches. They bring them home, I wash them, hang them on the line till they dry and then re-use, re-use, re-use. Good for the planet, and (over time) far cheaper to do this than continue to use Gladwrap.

Anyway, she came out with me when I was hanging them up, and said, "You know Frogdancer, this isn't normal."

I debated- what to say? Who wants to look cheap? So I simply said, "Yeah, but it's good for the planet." Which is true.

She said, "Yes, I know, but it still isn't normal."

Which is interesting, because her tone of voice would've made me stop doing it if I was at all worried about what other people think, but instead I started talking about the vegie garden.

I was showing her the little potato sprouts and she told me about when she was pulling up weeds in her new garden, and up came some little potatoes!

I said, "Did you cook them?"

She laughed and said, "NO! I threw them out."

I gasped, and she said, "I know! But you don't think that food comes out of the ground...."

I looked at her, and knew exactly what she was talking about. Food comes from the supermarket in shrink wrap. She threw out the potatoes because they were in the dirt, but would have no qualms buying brushed potatoes in a plastic bag. We laughed about it, because it's so true. We've been sanitised, homogenised and pasteurised... not just with milk but with everything.

But Guess What?? We were talking today and she said that I've rubbed off on her. She's bought a tomato plant!! This stuff is contagious.

Tony rang while I was writing this. He wants to take the kids out for lunch tomorrow, because he misses out on half his 'boys weekend' because of Phuket. He passed the phone to Vivienne, and we nattered away for nearly twenty minutes. It's so nice that he's chosen to marry someone who is down to earth and fun. The kids love her, and it's all good. Plus the boys look so good in the wedding photos (last year... they were the groomsmen), that I've got the photos up in my office. Bizarre, I know, especially to those who are still married, but it's far better than warfare.

Busy day today. I finished knitting a scarf, went to the bank and cleaned them out of Thai money... before you start thinking I'm a millionaire-they only had $200... and then I mowed the lawns and did the edges, unearthed the passports (the kids look so young!) and filled out various bits of paperwork. Booked the car into long-term parking, tried to have a nanna nap but was interrupted by some water guys wanting access to a watery-pipe thingy on the property, did three loads of washing and was filled with guilt because we should be packing, but we'll do that tomorrow..... the usual stuff when holidays are coming.

The good news is that I texted Pitsa in Phuket. She answered, and it's raining there, but the shopping is fine.