Bamboo Sketches
by Charity Lee Jennings
Challenge Rewards
I love seeing glimpses of myself in my daughter. When she received some new art supplies this Christmas, I got a good, long look at our similarities. As she opened the watercolour paints, tearing the gift wrap off - shutting out other gifts that were scattered around,...
New Year, New Teeth!
Rather than writing resolutions, I'm sharing a New Year story with you. This is a fictional story based entirely on real events from my experiences of raising my children in China. In the middle of the afternoon, on January 3rd, Eliza, the youngest of three,...
Six Hour Cider
I couldn’t imagine Christmas without the rich flavours of cinnamon, cloves, apple, orange and lemon, simmered and blending for hours in the slow cooker, filling our home with a wonderfully rich smell. Our Apple Cider. Neither could Brian, that’s why he agreed...
Generosity Greets the Holidays
Just as our warm fall temperatures dipped and cooled, I discovered that I was out of both herbal tea and chocolate chips! If only the solution were as simple as adding the items to my grocery list and picking them up next time I am at the grocery store. But these...
Study Buddy on the Run
The stillness and quietness of the morning, the warmth of a mug of tea and the comfort of a good book, no children calling for my help, a break, finally, after an especially demanding week, oh how I savoured it: peace. “Mom, Peepicheep escaped!” My peaceful morning,...
Fulfilling Homeschooling
“What does a day in my life look like?” I’m hesitant to answer this common question, usually asked with the sparkle of expectancy. Maybe because it is not as exotic or thrilling as one may expect. Or maybe it’s because I’ve been in China for ten years now, so my days...
Our Mid-Autumn Mooncakes
Inspired by my favourite childhood picture, in which my younger brother and I are biting into cookies as big around as our own chubby little faces, I bought these three village-style mooncakes, one for each of my kids. They looked as delicious as the cookies! My kids...
Mid-Autumn Mooncakes
I was surprised to receive an ornate red box, the size of a small brief case, adorned with elegant Chinese knots, and to hear a cheerful, “Happy Mid-Autumn Festival”, from my new friends, not long after my arrival in China several years ago. They left before I could...
Birthday Season!
I'm back into birthday season again. All of our kids birthday's are within three and a half months, so it does feel like a season that comes, and then goes. And, this is a significant year; one that reminds me just how precious it is to be surrounded by my children....
Jiao Zi Time, Finally
My kids had been asking when we could make Chinese dumplings again, but since mine never stay together, I didn't see how I could teach them. And then it finally happened! Their Chinese tutor agreed to help them make jioa zi, our all-time favourite Chinese dish. It is...
Lantern Festival
Lantern Festival has come and gone. And as it marked the end of two weeks of sleepless nights, I have to admit I'm glad. The city was strangely quiet during the holidays. Most people had either left to visit family or must have been sleeping the days away after late...
Spring Festival
Tomorrow is Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival as it is also called, since it marks the beginning of Spring. Firecrackers are bursting everywhere, houses being renovated and swept clean and red banners are decorating doorways. It is a fun and festive atmosphere,...