Monday, 30 April 2012
Sunday, 29 April 2012
Sunday
. . . and it's absolutely filthy outside. Windy and lashing with rain. On days like today I am incredibly thankful and grateful (in a very humble sort of way) for my four walls and a roof dwelling that keeps me snug, warm and dry. You'd never think it is nearly May, it is so dark and gloomy. It looks as if it has been raining all night and I gather there are flood warnings out - in areas with a hosepipe ban.
Yesterday was truly a lovely day. At about 1:00, we all arrived at the South Lodge Hotel to be greeted by DG who efficiently and loudly escorted us to the private room in which we had our meal. A lovely room it was too with big doors that opened onto a little garden area. Such a shame it was so wet and miserable because it would have been nice to have our coffee out there, but never mind, it was a super view anyway. DD had colour coordinated and themed everything around owls. I love owls in a non- nature/wildlife, rather soppy, decorative sort of way and everything was owly. The cake, the place labels, the card, the gift tags . . . you name it, there was an owl somewhere nearby. She had used friends who have their own little business from home - paining on glass or plastic (or card), cake making, flower arranging, fimo models. She knows I love to support local enterprise so I was so thrilled that she'd done that. The cake and the flowers had been done by two of 'my mums' - mums of children currently in my class.
The food was very good too, and not shockingly expensive. We all ate from the set menu and it was scrummy. First of all I had pate (smooth and very delicious) and accompaniments - a lovely chutney that tasted home made, gherkins, olives and semi sun dried tomatoes with what tasted like fried bread but crispy and crunchy all the way through and with no hint of fattiness or grease. After that I had duck on garlic mash with green beans and 'natural jus' (which caused great merriment as we tried to explain to DG what it was). The duck was perfectly cooked and the jus delicious, but there was rather too much garlic mash and I felt the beans could have been cooked for a few more minutes. Didn't stop me eating them though! After that I had a 'trio of ice creams', a rather pretentious way of describing three scoops and some chocolate sauce and finally it was all topped off with some very nice coffee. I was presented with gifts, we had a bottle of bubbly (yum) and it all made me feel very special and very loved. What more could one ask for? Thank you, everyone, it really was lovely.
And then it was home for a bit of a rest after which the cake was cut and a bit eaten. I really couldn't face any more food that day but several of the family proceeded to cut slices off the ham, open the pringles and generally play slight havoc with today's food arrangements - which actually doesn't matter one little bit! I had to admit I did finish off the wine: after paying a fortune for a bottle at the hotel, there was no way I was leaving any behind so it came home with us. Fortunately it had a screw top.
So, on to today. It's going to be a stay at home and keep warm kind of day. I've put my precious tomatoes outside but in a sheltered place. I've started another pair of socks. Don't smile - this time they are a gift for a friend. And then after that I am going to use a bit of my Hobbycraft present to get some plain sock yarn to have a go at some patterns - ribbing, perhaps. Oooh, don't I live an exciting life? :0)
Yesterday was truly a lovely day. At about 1:00, we all arrived at the South Lodge Hotel to be greeted by DG who efficiently and loudly escorted us to the private room in which we had our meal. A lovely room it was too with big doors that opened onto a little garden area. Such a shame it was so wet and miserable because it would have been nice to have our coffee out there, but never mind, it was a super view anyway. DD had colour coordinated and themed everything around owls. I love owls in a non- nature/wildlife, rather soppy, decorative sort of way and everything was owly. The cake, the place labels, the card, the gift tags . . . you name it, there was an owl somewhere nearby. She had used friends who have their own little business from home - paining on glass or plastic (or card), cake making, flower arranging, fimo models. She knows I love to support local enterprise so I was so thrilled that she'd done that. The cake and the flowers had been done by two of 'my mums' - mums of children currently in my class.
The food was very good too, and not shockingly expensive. We all ate from the set menu and it was scrummy. First of all I had pate (smooth and very delicious) and accompaniments - a lovely chutney that tasted home made, gherkins, olives and semi sun dried tomatoes with what tasted like fried bread but crispy and crunchy all the way through and with no hint of fattiness or grease. After that I had duck on garlic mash with green beans and 'natural jus' (which caused great merriment as we tried to explain to DG what it was). The duck was perfectly cooked and the jus delicious, but there was rather too much garlic mash and I felt the beans could have been cooked for a few more minutes. Didn't stop me eating them though! After that I had a 'trio of ice creams', a rather pretentious way of describing three scoops and some chocolate sauce and finally it was all topped off with some very nice coffee. I was presented with gifts, we had a bottle of bubbly (yum) and it all made me feel very special and very loved. What more could one ask for? Thank you, everyone, it really was lovely.
And then it was home for a bit of a rest after which the cake was cut and a bit eaten. I really couldn't face any more food that day but several of the family proceeded to cut slices off the ham, open the pringles and generally play slight havoc with today's food arrangements - which actually doesn't matter one little bit! I had to admit I did finish off the wine: after paying a fortune for a bottle at the hotel, there was no way I was leaving any behind so it came home with us. Fortunately it had a screw top.
So, on to today. It's going to be a stay at home and keep warm kind of day. I've put my precious tomatoes outside but in a sheltered place. I've started another pair of socks. Don't smile - this time they are a gift for a friend. And then after that I am going to use a bit of my Hobbycraft present to get some plain sock yarn to have a go at some patterns - ribbing, perhaps. Oooh, don't I live an exciting life? :0)
 |
| The cake (which got a bit bashed on one side but was still absolutely brilliant - gotta love that owl!) |
 |
| . . . and the flowers which are in a lovely spherical bowl with 'bubbles' in the bottom, standing on a mirror - very artistic! |
Saturday, 28 April 2012
Saturday
Not exactly a restful day today but it will be very pleasant. Nearly all the family are converging in Chelmsford for a nice lunch together. It's going to be great!
Yesterday was so busy I didn't have time to feel my usual Friday afternoon tiredness. Plenty of paperwork to be getting on with, three meetings and then more paperwork as a result of that meeting. Next Friday will be no better - two meetings with 'outside agencies' - people from various support services assigned to a particular child - with resulting paperwork attached. Stll, it keeps me out of trouble, doesn't it?
It's still raining. Not right now but on and off. Yesterday we got lucky. They got all their playtimes fore and aft and it didn't rain at the beginning and end of school either. Plenty in between times though, some very hard. Proper April showers and no mistake! No need to use the hosepipe although, in fact, we don't have a ban around here, much to everyone's surprise. I'm really not sure why not but there you go!
My grafted tomatoes have arrive. Titchy little plug plants that I need to get into pots this morning and then keep indoors (on the window ledge, I guess) until frost danger time has passed, whenever that will be. It's still jolly cold at night but because of the cloud cover there's been no frost. I wouldn't like to bet on the chances of no more frost this spring though.
Well, better get going. There's a house to dust and sweep!
Yesterday was so busy I didn't have time to feel my usual Friday afternoon tiredness. Plenty of paperwork to be getting on with, three meetings and then more paperwork as a result of that meeting. Next Friday will be no better - two meetings with 'outside agencies' - people from various support services assigned to a particular child - with resulting paperwork attached. Stll, it keeps me out of trouble, doesn't it?
It's still raining. Not right now but on and off. Yesterday we got lucky. They got all their playtimes fore and aft and it didn't rain at the beginning and end of school either. Plenty in between times though, some very hard. Proper April showers and no mistake! No need to use the hosepipe although, in fact, we don't have a ban around here, much to everyone's surprise. I'm really not sure why not but there you go!
My grafted tomatoes have arrive. Titchy little plug plants that I need to get into pots this morning and then keep indoors (on the window ledge, I guess) until frost danger time has passed, whenever that will be. It's still jolly cold at night but because of the cloud cover there's been no frost. I wouldn't like to bet on the chances of no more frost this spring though.
Well, better get going. There's a house to dust and sweep!
Friday, 27 April 2012
Friday
Just a quick message because I'm tired after yesterday evening's meal out and a bt rushed.
Chance of rain - huh! At times the heavens simply opened and sent those proverbial cats and dogs down with enormous fury. Especially just as the children arrived at school. Drowned rats doesn't begin to describe them and the classrooms looked like laundry day! Hope today is different!
Chance of rain - huh! At times the heavens simply opened and sent those proverbial cats and dogs down with enormous fury. Especially just as the children arrived at school. Drowned rats doesn't begin to describe them and the classrooms looked like laundry day! Hope today is different!
Thursday, 26 April 2012
Thursday
Well, blow me down, after a night of howling winds and lashing rain, I have just looked out to see that the clouds are clearing, the rain has stopped and there's a blue sky. Not only that but the iGoogle forecast says only 'chance of rain'. You never know, maybe we will get our playtimes today.
Yesterday, being Wednesday, was library day. We are very lucky: as we have our local library sharing the same roof as the school, once a fortnight every class has a session in the library. The little ones find and read books to themselves or to each other, finishing with a story from Jenny, the librarian, while the older ones start to learn library and research skills. My library time clashes with outdoor play in the afternoon so the children miss play. However, as they had been stuck in for much of the day, the rain had cleared and the sun was shining, I took my class out for ten minutes of run around before going to the library. And they were much calmer, settled and engaged in the library than they usually are. I think I'm going to do the same thing each time it's library. They obviously need that little break beforehand.
Yesterday turned out to be a special day for the school. One of our parents is a policeman and will be escorting the Olympic torch as it travels through this area. Yesterday he brought the torch to school, took two assemblies (one for the Infants and one for the Juniors) to talk about it, show a film about the concept of the Olympic torch and then bring it round to each class so that all the children could hold it and have their photo taken. They were all thrilled to bits. It's a lot heavier than I would have thought and anyone running with it needs a very strong arm indeed!
On Tuesday, as I said yesterday, I received an invitation from the family to a birthday celebration lunch. It's at the South Lodge Hotel which looks lovely from the web site. If the weather's anything like, we can wander around the grounds too. I'm getting quite excited about it now! Roll on the weekend!
Yesterday, being Wednesday, was library day. We are very lucky: as we have our local library sharing the same roof as the school, once a fortnight every class has a session in the library. The little ones find and read books to themselves or to each other, finishing with a story from Jenny, the librarian, while the older ones start to learn library and research skills. My library time clashes with outdoor play in the afternoon so the children miss play. However, as they had been stuck in for much of the day, the rain had cleared and the sun was shining, I took my class out for ten minutes of run around before going to the library. And they were much calmer, settled and engaged in the library than they usually are. I think I'm going to do the same thing each time it's library. They obviously need that little break beforehand.
Yesterday turned out to be a special day for the school. One of our parents is a policeman and will be escorting the Olympic torch as it travels through this area. Yesterday he brought the torch to school, took two assemblies (one for the Infants and one for the Juniors) to talk about it, show a film about the concept of the Olympic torch and then bring it round to each class so that all the children could hold it and have their photo taken. They were all thrilled to bits. It's a lot heavier than I would have thought and anyone running with it needs a very strong arm indeed!
On Tuesday, as I said yesterday, I received an invitation from the family to a birthday celebration lunch. It's at the South Lodge Hotel which looks lovely from the web site. If the weather's anything like, we can wander around the grounds too. I'm getting quite excited about it now! Roll on the weekend!
Wednesday, 25 April 2012
Wednesday
. . . and what a lovely day I had yesterday! I arrived at school nice and early to find that someone - several someones in fact - had been decorating my bay with banners, balloons and so on. I have to say it looked really nice and sent the children hyper when they came in!!
Numerous cards, good wishes and presents later, we worked through the day (no playground duty a.m. because it was chucking it down, so sad!!) and just before home time in piled the parents with card, a lovely flower arrangement and a gorgeous basket filled with goodies. How kind of them! I took one look at the basket and thought 'knitting' so now it sits in my living room with my knitting projects and current patterns inside.
I forgot to take a photo of the basked before I dismantled it, which I'm cross with myself about, but here's the flower arrangement.
Then it was home (it took four journeys to load up the car) and a bit of a relax until DD and DG turned up to make dinner for me. She made a delicious mix of roasted peppers and red onion with green lentils and feta. It was scrummy. She also gave me an invite to the family do on Saturday. It's at one of the hotels in town and we have a private room. Ooooooooooooooooh! So I have that to look forward to now.
So what with all of the above, plus the meal at the Flyer tomorrow evening and the lovely gifts, including vouchers for Waterstones and Hobbycraft (yay to both) and six lovely, extremely fresh eggs . . .
. . . things are good.
And now it's back to reality again.
I forgot to take a photo of the basked before I dismantled it, which I'm cross with myself about, but here's the flower arrangement.
And a few shots of other flowers I received from very kind friends.
So what with all of the above, plus the meal at the Flyer tomorrow evening and the lovely gifts, including vouchers for Waterstones and Hobbycraft (yay to both) and six lovely, extremely fresh eggs . . .
And now it's back to reality again.
Tuesday, 24 April 2012
Tuesday
What a miserable day it was yesterday! Well, to be fair, it was OK until lunchtime and then it started raining and doesn't seem to have stopped yet. Playtime yesterday afternoon was indoors and, unless something dramatic happens, it looks as if today will be the same. I do three playground duties one week and four the next, last week they were all wet playtimes and this week looks like going the same way. I blame the hosepipe ban myself. It wasn't like this until that happened!
A good start to our new theme with six children away!! Ho hum. That means I will need to recap. on the essential stuff covered yesterday, which will be a right pain for those children who were there. A bit of a nuisance really! I had to laugh though - our first investigation involves keeping two petri dishes in the dark. Could I find the box I used last year anywhere? No, I could not. I ended up getting the chamber pot out of the cupboard to invert and cover. It does look rather amusing but where has that box gone?
Today it is sticks of celery in coloured water to see what happens to the water! Should be - er - fun!
And I am now officially old and can get free eye tests and, I think, prescriptions. The eye test bit is fine but seeing as I very rarely trouble the GP anyway, the other will be an occasional benefit (I hope).
Right, now where did I put that zimmer?
A good start to our new theme with six children away!! Ho hum. That means I will need to recap. on the essential stuff covered yesterday, which will be a right pain for those children who were there. A bit of a nuisance really! I had to laugh though - our first investigation involves keeping two petri dishes in the dark. Could I find the box I used last year anywhere? No, I could not. I ended up getting the chamber pot out of the cupboard to invert and cover. It does look rather amusing but where has that box gone?
Today it is sticks of celery in coloured water to see what happens to the water! Should be - er - fun!
And I am now officially old and can get free eye tests and, I think, prescriptions. The eye test bit is fine but seeing as I very rarely trouble the GP anyway, the other will be an occasional benefit (I hope).
Right, now where did I put that zimmer?
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