Between Wunghu and Numurkah

We are on vacation this week staying at a small dairy farm that has a B&B and a cheese-making facility. http://www.locheilan.com.au/ So far we've sampled double cream brie, a light blue and cheshire cheeses, walked along dusty roads and visited small farms and roadside stalls along the way. We've come back with almonds in honey, mixed berry jam, apricots and nectarines. I love Australian summers with stone fruits galore!

It's also a great time for reading books and getting organised in the mind about the Christmas to come. Just taking time to sample some more Cheshire cheese!

I've just finished reading Anne Sommer's book about the portrait of her mother by Constance Parkin. http://annesummers.com.au/books/the-lost-mother/ It's amazing how someone can build a story around disparate events in several people's family histories. It was an OK read, but I'm now on to Don Watson's American Journeys.

Last week I attended the Parliament of World Religions in Melbourne. http://www.parliamentofreligions.org/ I particularly enjoyed the sessions by Joan Chittister a benedictine nun from Pennsylvania and especially the session shared with Immam Fiesal Rauf and Rabbi Brad Hirschfield about Sacred Envy: what I most like about my own tradition and yours and what I find most challenging. Good interfaith dialogue by three wise and well educated people. How heartening to find some good discussion on issues close to my heart! This was money well spent.