...and now for something completely different...

Michael writes one more time...

In the spring I found myself short of reading matter. For some years I had found the deepest reading relaxation came from Georgette Heyer's swashbuckling historical romances - there's nothing better at bedtime than a sword-fight and a happy ending!

However, having read and re-read her excellent novels until even they began to pall, I found myself scouring other authors' output for similarly entertaining tales. I searched in vain...so I wrote my own. It is not a work of high-brow literary fiction: unlike Dostoevsky or Dickens, you can't brag about having read it - but it is a lot more fun.

So if you like something light-hearted with which to snuggle down on the sofa, treat yourself! In the UK you can get it on Amazon as a proper book here or an an eBook here; if you live in the States you can get the paperback here and the photons here. If you live elsewhere there are various options, depending on your country, but if you have trouble sourcing it, let me know and I'll see what I can arrange.

I suggest you get a copy now, but save reading it until that bit of Christmas when you just have to lie down...

Printed matter

Michael writes...

My book, How to Meditate on the Train, is now available in the traditional, printed form.

If you live in the UK you can get it for £3.33 (with free postage!) by clicking here. 
In America it costs $5.11 - click here. 
It's €3.93 in Spain, €4.26 in Germany and Austria, and €4.05 in France.

Now think, how else can you spend quite so little money whilst be sure of buying someone a Christmas present they don't already have?

Save money this Christmas!

Michael writes...

If you were wondering how to give everyone you know a decent Christmas present at less than £3 each, I have the solution!

As you know, the most magnificent tome in the history of western literature and eastern spirituality was recently published as an eBook at £2.99 / $4.80.
(UK:http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Meditate-Train-Michael-Pockley-ebook/dp/B00GN1OE6G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1385117003&sr=8-1&keywords=how+to+meditate+on+the+train)
(USA:http://www.amazon.com/How-Meditate-Train-Michael-Pockley-ebook/dp/B00GN1OE6G/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1385117144&sr=1-1&keywords=how+to+meditate+on+the+train)


But how on Earth does one give someone else an eBook? Here are Amazon's instructions:-

Purchase a Kindle Book as a Gift

Most Kindle books available in the Kindle Store can be given as a gift to anyone with an e-mail address.
Kindle book gift notifications can be sent to any e-mail address. The recipient can read the book on a registered Kindle device or any free Kindle reading application. You do not need a Kindle device to send or receive Kindle books as gifts.

1. From the Kindle Store, select the book you want to purchase as a gift.
2. On the product detail page, click the Give as a Gift button.
3. Enter the personal e-mail address of your gift recipient.
4. Enter a delivery date.
5. Enter an optional gift message.
6. Click the Place your order button to finish your gift purchase using your Amazon 1-Click payment method.

You can redeliver a Kindle gift book you've purchased by going to Your Digital Orders in Your Account. From the Order Summary page, click the Resend E-mail button. 

They don't need a Kindle to read it - almost any electronic device can be enabled by downloading free apps from here:http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771&ref=kcp_ipad_mkt_lnd
 
So there you are. A magnificent, life-changing present for everyone you know at less than three quid each. Plus, owing to the spiritual nature of the gift, it doesn't even commercialize Christmas.

Chantal visit

My sister and her man visited us today. We had a walk through the woods. pub lunch and then walked back. It was a lovely time.

Jakub, Michael, Chantal, já

drawing lessons - hodiny kreslení

Na začátku školního roku začal Jakub chodit do hodin kreslení. Zde něco z toho, co nakreslil.

Jack started drawing lessons at the start of this term. Here's a couple of the pictures he's done so far.

cauliflower patties and fruit salad - květákové placičky a ovocný salát

Master chef at work

než se to snědlo - before we ate the

Jak je vidět z fotek, trávíme dlouhé večery vařením. Večeři tentokrát vyrobil Jakub.

This is how we spend those long evenings. Jack cooked supper.